This homemade chicken soup is good for the soul - packed with vitamins, nutrients, collagen, and anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, it's sure to have you feeling better in no time!
8cupswateror you can use 4 cups water, 4 cups store-bought broth for more flavor
Chicken Soup
8cupsbroth either what you just made, or store bought
3carrotspeeled and cut into rounds
3ribscelerydiced
1oniondiced
2clovesgarlicminced
1inchknob gingerpeeled and finely diced
½tspblack pepper
1tbspfresh thymefinely diced
1tspturmeric
1tspsea salt
½boxgluten free pastaoptional - I like Jovial Foods GF fusilli in this recipe!
Instructions
Chicken Broth
Pat your chicken dry and place it in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Place the remaining ingredients around it. Pour the water (or water/broth combo) over it until it is just covered. Too much water = bland broth. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer (medium low worked well for me), and cook for 1.5 hours.
Remove the chicken and transfer it to a cutting board or pan and shred using two forks. It should fall right off the bone and be very tender. Discard the skin and bones. Use a slotted spoon to remove the carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, etc. out of the broth. At this point you have the option to strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, or leave it as-is. I left it.
You can either use the broth and chicken to make soup now, or store it away for sipping and use the chicken for another recipe.
Chicken Soup
Add all of the soup ingredients (except for the pasta) into the broth you just made. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes until the carrots are mostly tender. Add in the cooked shredded chicken and the pasta (if using). Let it simmer until the pasta is al dente. Taste test, then add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
*To make this chicken soup using chicken breasts or thighs and store-bought broth, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Add in the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add in 1.5 lbs chicken breasts or thighs and the remaining soup ingredients. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Shred chicken and discard any bones (if you used bone-in) and add it back into the pot. Add in the pasta (if using) and cook for another 10-15 minutes until tender. Serve with parsley, if desired. *You have the option of using and dicing up the carrots and celery from the original homemade broth pot, but I find that they're too mushy. I discarded those and used new ones