Chicken Soup for the Soul....and immune system.
Mom and Grandma were right, they just didn't know the science of it. Chicken soup has anti-viral and healing properties. So, during this cold and flu season with the weather in Kansas seemingly having more personalities than what's healthy, here is an easy bone broth base for your favorite chicken soup recipe.
Here are a few benefits of chicken soup/bone broth:
Chicken soup can block certain white blood cells to the respiratory tract, therefore helping symptoms and possibly length and severity of symptoms.
It can help nasal congestion because of being warm/hot and the liquid can help facilitate mucus clearing.
Bone broth has many minerals and nourishment to it. Using that as a base for your soup is nothing but good.
Usually there are some kind of garlic or onion in the soup, both of which have powerful antiviral activity.
Usually vegetables are added to soup which have vitamin C and other vitamins, bolstering recovery.
People tell me, I don't have time to make bone broth to which I give the "blank look." I literally throw stuff in a crockpot and walk away for 8 hours. Then, after you've let it cook all day, strain it through colander into a huge bowl or pot and simmer the other ingredients you chose for your soup and drink up!
My trusty helper likes to sprinkle the herbs in and be a "chef."
So, I started with chicken carcass pieces. You can use a whole chicken or drumsticks or whatever you want as long as it has bones. Usually longer bones like legs are easier and better if you want more meat for your soup. Then I filled the crockpot with filtered water, onions, garlic cloves, a few carrots for flavor, and added thyme, turmeric, and oregano (also antiviral). I love salty soup so I put probably 4 tablespoons of a good quality salt (like real salt) in there, also. Then I put the lid on, turned it on low, and went to work. I discarded most of this when I strained the broth, but if you do a whole chicken then you strip the meat off the bones and use that. My dogs like the soft carrots so I added those to their dinner. Use the bone broth as your base for your soup! There ya go! Help any sniffles with good and nourishing bone broth this winter!
