Hearty Chicken Soup: Recipe



If you've ever looked for a chicken soup recipe, you've noticed there are a LOT of them out there. The best part about this is that there are some great ideas for variations on this classic recipe - thai chicken soup, anyone? The worst part is that there are so many recipes with unhealthy ingredients; soups loaded with vegetable oils, margarine, and refined grains. We've truly lost sight of the original benefits of chicken soup, like the minerals and fat found in homemade broth. Yes, saturated FAT is GOOD for you! Anyway, before I lose myself on another fat is phat rant, I wanted to eliminate this need to go searching for the perfect chicken soup recipe. Today I present to you THE best chicken soup recipe you'll ever come across. Now, this doesn't sound very humble, I know, but I wasn't the one who came up with the base of the recipe, so I feel like I can say that. In fact, I don't even remember who came up with this recipe. It has been tweaked and changed so many times that I'm going to share with you how I make it, and then you can continue to tweak it to your family's personal tastes. 
In my last couple of posts we learned about the benefits of homemade bone broths, and I gave you a recipe for chicken broth to start you off on your traditional foods journey. Today, you'll be using that chicken broth to make the most perfect, delicious pot of chicken soup your family has ever laid their lips on. So, without further ado...
Hearty Chicken Soup
2 tablespoons organic pastured butter (feel free to use more)
1 cup chopped organic carrots
1/2 cup diced organic onion
1/2 cup diced organic celery
1-2 cups chopped organic zucchini (optional)
6 cups homemade chicken broth
2 cups or more diced organic pastured chicken
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (I use RealSalt)
1 t organic dried marjoram
1 t organic dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon organic pepper
1. In a medium-sized pot on low heat, sauté carrots, onion, and celery in butter for 5 - 10 minutes, or until tender.
2. Add zucchini (if using), homemade chicken broth, diced chicken, and spices. Mix and cover. Turn heat up a bit, and bring to a very low simmer. Turn off heat and allow soup to sit for about 20 minutes. 
3. Ladle into bowls and serve with homemade lacto-fermented sauerkraut, pickles, and some raw cheddar cheese.
Serves 4
As you can see, this is a very simple recipe. It doesn't need to be difficult to be delicious. The secret is in the homemade broth and the marjoram. Whenever I have served this meal, someone has always commented on how they have never tasted any soup so delicious. I truly think people have become used to the bland-tasting broths that are sold in stores and used in most restaurants. This is a tragedy... but it's not too late to remedy this problem. I guarantee you'll get smiling faces when you serve this soup.
I'd like to make one note: We are a grain-free household. That's right, not just gluten-free, we are completely grain-free. I've been following the GAPS diet for about a year in order to heal my gut, and part of the diet is eliminating stress on the intestines, which means not eating complex carbohydrates. We add zucchini to our soup as a replacement to noodles. It helps to make the soup heartier. I enjoy the zucchini, and it's much healthier than the noodles would be. Feel free to use the zucchini or throw in a different vegetable that your family enjoys. 
During this cold, winter season, it's a perfect time to make this chicken soup, and it will help to provide your family with the nutrients to stave off colds and flus. Are you ready? It's time to take your taste buds for a joy ride!
What is your favorite variation on the traditional chicken soup recipe?

9 comments:

  1. This looks simple and tasty - I love chicken soup!

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  2. I make a really similar soup, and its so tasty and nutritious. I want to eat of bowl of your soup right now! I'm hosting a weekly blog carnival specifically for soups, stocks and chowders, every Sunday! I would love it if you would come over and post this recipe. Here's a link with more information:

    http://easynaturalfood.com/2011/10/17/introducing-sunday-night-soup-night/

    I hope to see you there!
    Debbie

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  3. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with Sunday Night Soup Night! I'll be hosting weekly through fall and winter, so I'd love to see you again with your next soup/stock/chowder recipe.

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  4. Thanks for linking your great post to FAT TUESDAY. This was very interesting! Hope to see you next week!

    This look really good and I am definitely going to try it tonight! You sold me on the recipe!

    Be sure to visit RealFoodForager.com on Sunday for Sunday Snippets – your post from Fat Tuesday may be featured there!
    http://realfoodforager.com/fat-tuesday-january-17-2012/

    Share your great fermented food recipes at my Probiotic Food Linky – open through Februray 6, 2012.
    http://realfoodforager.com/probiotic-food-challenge-linky/

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  5. I love chicken soup!

    I'm working on stocking my freezer for the upcoming birth of my second child. I would love for you to come share this recipe at my Make-ahead Monday Link-up over at Raising Isabella!

    http://naturalparentingunnaturalworld.blogspot.com/2012/01/make-ahead-monday-5.html

    Hope to see you there!~
    Sarah

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sarah! Your blog is beautiful. You've got people sharing some great recipes over there! :)

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  6. Thanks for sharing this recipe at Make-ahead monday! Hope to see you again next week!

    http://naturalparentingunnaturalworld.blogspot.com/

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  7. This looks seriously fantastic! I would feel great eating this!
    Restaurant In Satya Niketan

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  8. While wings make a fun treat or gathering best chicken recipes time nibble, they're absolutely not intended to be each day sustenance. Fortunately, there are still a lot of tasty approaches to cook more advantageous cuts of meat, for example, skinless chicken bosoms. Grilling little bits of the chicken bosom on sticks with veggies likewise offers a lighter gathering time nibble thought

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