Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Published in Recipes on 01 July 2011 by Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Many cultures consume chicken-based soups as a means of improving immune function. This soup not only contains chicken, but is cooked with warming spices and shiitake mushrooms which are also known to enhance immune system function.

Ingredients

Stock

• 1 whole free range chicken
• 1 pinch salt
• Peppercorns
• 1 pinch of spices (cinnamon, coriander powder, nutmeg)
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters
• ½ onion, roughly diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or roughly chopped
• 1 knob of grated ginger
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 stock cube (optional)
• Approximately 4-5 cups of water

Soup

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 pinch of spices (cinnamon, coriander and nutmeg)
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 1 cup of bok choy
• Handful of shiitake mushrooms
• 3 sprigs of spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 packet of rice noodles

You will need

• 1 large stock pot/ soup pot 
• 1 measuring cup
• 1 strainer
• 1 ladle
• 1 set of tongs

 

Instructions

This recipe has a two step process: first making the stock and then preparing the soup. The stock can be prepared in advance and will keep in the fridge for a few days or can be frozen for later use.

Making the Chicken Stock
Place the free range chicken in a large stock pot. Add onion, lemon, garlic, ginger, carrot, chilli, celery, peppercorns, spices (cinnamon, coriander and ginger) and salt. Add 4-5 cups of water (enough to cover the chicken and vegetables) and bring to the boil.

Then turn the temperature down and allow the stock to simmer until chicken is cooked (roughly takes around 30- 45 minutes). Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the stock pot using a set of tongs and put aside to cool.

Leave the stock pot, with the liquid and vegetables, on the stove to simmer while the chicken cools. Once the chicken has cooled, pick the meat off the chicken and return the bones to the pot. Continue to boil vegies and chicken bones for another 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take stock off the heat and allow it to cool. Once the stock is at a safe temperature, strain out all the solids and put aside.

The stock can be now used to prepare the soup. You can also keep the stock in the refrigerator and used in the next few days or freeze it for a few weeks for future use.

Preparing the soup
In a stock pot fry the finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger. Add in the spices (cinnamon, coriander and nutmeg) and the finely chopped chillies.

Once the onions have started to brown, add the carrot, celery, chicken stock, shiitake mushrooms and chicken meat. Slowly heat soup until it reaches a slow simmer, then add the bok choy and rice noodles.

Stir the soup slowly to prevent the vegetables and rice noodles from sticking to the bottom. Once rice noodles have cooked take the pot off the heat.

Ladle out soup and rice noodles into large bowls. Serve with roughly chopped fresh coriander and a wedge of lemon. Include fresh chilli if desired. Crispy fried onion and garlic can also be added.

This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.