When you’re feeling sick and low on energy, whip up a vat of this healing homemade chicken soup with lemon! Grandma says chicken soup with lemon will heal your body from the inside out... And science can prove it.
Homemade chicken soup conjures up thoughts of grandmothers, nourishment, warmth, and soulfulness. Whenever we get a cold or even the flu, we turn to this soup to comfort and cure us. But is there more to it than magic?
Food As Medicine
Across the globe and throughout time cultures have considered the medicinal benefits of food when planning meals. The common French practice of apéritif (and the Italian aperitivo) is a bit of liqueur used to prepare the body’s system for eating. In Chinese culture it is common to think about the warming and cooling influences of food to achieve balance, the key focus of traditional Chinese medicine. If you’re curious about other healthy foods that you can use to concoct your own at home remedies, check out THIS article.
The Science Behind The Soup
Meanwhile in American culture, chicken soup is said to have almost magical healing powers. It has been a prescribed remedy since the early 12th century. In fact, recent studies have shown that chicken soup affects the body on a cellular level. It affects the behavior of white blood cells, soothing them. As a result, chicken soup can provide anti-inflammatory benefits. This is especially true of soup containing a lot of vegetables like parsnips, turnips, and celery. In short, chicken soup can help relieve infections in the upper respiratory area (ie. the common cold). It can help to keep you hydrated and provide your body with needed nutrients. It was even shown to be the best fluid to help move mucus in the nose! So eat your soup, soothe your throat, blow your nose, and get well soon!
What About The Lemons?
This soup is extra special because it is a lemon chicken soup. Lemons have additional health benefits that can help clear up your cold. They are loaded with vitamin C, which boosts the body’s immune system and supports its natural defenses. Lemon juice decreases the strength of the cold and flu virus in the body and reduces phlegm!
Chicken Soup With Lemon
Equipment
- large dutch oven, or heavy bottom pot
Ingredients
- 1 package soup greens *usually contains: 1-2 turnips, 1-2 parsnips, 1-2 medium carrot sticks, 1-2 celery stalks, 1 medium yellow onion, fresh parsley, fresh dill
- 2 lemons *1 thinly sliced, 1 for zesting and halved for juicing
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 cups chicken stock *You can also use broth, but stock has a richer flavor. I recommend using Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base since the jar will keep much longer than a carton of stock. If you prefer the carton, try Swanson.
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken
- 1 lb ditalini pasta
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- black pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- dried sage
- dried thyme
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven (or bottom heavy pot) over medium heat. While the pot is heating, begin to prep the vegetables.
- Start by peeling and dicing the turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Wash and dice the celery. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic.
- Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the heated pot. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Stir to coat well with oil. Then add the the celery and onions. Season with salt and pepper, and stir again to make sure all of the vegetables are evenly coated with oil. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Next, add the garlic. (Don't add the garlic at the same time as the other vegetabales to prevent it from burning.) Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, and thyme. Stir again and continue cooking until onions turn translucent.
- Wash and thinly slice 1 lemon. Carefully remove the seeds. Place slices in the pot, stir, and cook with the vegetables until the peels are soft and cooked. While the vegtables are cooking, remove all of the meat from the rotisserie chicken. Shred the meat into bite size pieces.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Season wiith a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Wash and finely chop the parsley and dill, and add to the pot. Add the zest of the second lemon. If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, add the juice of half of the lemon as well. Add juice from the other half for an even stronger lemon flavor! (A word of caution, adding too much lemon juice could potentially give the soup a slightly bitter taste.) For addtional flavor, add some chicken bones to the pot! (Just be sure that you keep track of what bones you put in so that you can take them out later.) Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for about 30 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, cook the ditalini pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside. Keep pasta separate from the soup until you are ready to serve and eat or the pasta will absorb all of the liquid.
- When soup is done, remove the lemon peels and chicken bones. Add any further seasonings to taste. Serve immediately, or freeze and keep stored for up to three months!
This post was all about the best chicken soup with lemon to remedy your cold.
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