Dr. Kimberly’s classic Flu-Buster Chicken Soup is sure to keep you healthy, nourished and warm during the cold + flu season. This easy and simple recipe is sure to become one of your favorites all winter long. Check out Dr. Kimberly’s preferred brands for broth, salt and spices under the Recommended Resources tab.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Pasture Raised Chicken
- 1 Qt. Pasture Raised Chicken Broth
- 2 Lg. Yellow Onions (lightly salted in butter if desired)
- 4-6 Lg. Carrots
- 4-5 Celery Stalks
- Bundle of Fresh Thyme
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1/2 Lemon with seeds removed
- Redmond’s Real Salt
- Whole Cracked Pepper
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Avocado
- Fresh Lime Juice
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F
- Roast the whole chicken in the oven for 20-30min until golden brown. Include the gizzards if you have them!
- Chop onions and carrots
- Remove seeds from lemon
- Place the chopped onions and carrots into a stock pot
- When the chicken is done roasting, remove from the oven and transfer the entire bird and drippings to your stock pot
- Add 1 qt. chicken broth and just enough water to cover the bird
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the chicken reaches 130F when measured by a meat thermometer
- Place a large strainer over a mixing bowl
- Using two large forks to remove the chicken from the pot and place it in the strainer allowing the drippings to strain into the bowl below
- Let the chicken cool and then remove most of the meat from the carcass, shredding it into pieces and set aside
- Return the carcass with skin etc. to the pot along with all the drippings from the bowl. Squeeze in the lemon to help pull calcium and minerals out of the the bones.
- Add celery chunks, bundle of fresh thyme, garlic cloves, two pinches of salt and more water as needed
- Simmer for 2-4 hours. Timing depends on your stove, size of bird, etc.
- When the chicken is done cooking, remove the carcass and strain the stock into a clean pot, being sure to push all of the juices from the carcass, onion, carrots, etc. with a spoon into the pot.
- Discard the carcass and old vegetables from the strainer
- Preserve some of the stock by placing the liquid into icecube trays and mason jars to freeze or use fresh in another recipe
- Chop and lightly steam a fresh batch of vegetables of your choice in a separate pot (carrots, celery, onions, zucchini etc.) and reheat desired amount of stock for your serving
- Ladle a cup of stock into a bowl adding desired amount of shredded chicken and steamed vegetables
- Serve with a squeeze of lime juice, black pepper, avocado chunks, cilantro and salt to taste
- Add a dollop of sour cream if allowed
Enjoy your chicken soup knowing that you are fueling yourself with flu-busing nutrients.