Nourishing Paleo Chicken Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes chicken soup so healthy? ›

Chicken broth, a clear liquid, counts towards your hydration goals. Nutritionally, it's rich in essential fatty acids and protein. Essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make on its own and which must come from the foods we eat, are a source of energy and major components of cell membrane structure.

Here are some ideas to liven up your canned soups and make them taste more like homemade: Sauté some onions and/or garlic: Low and slow is the way to go. Then deglaze the pan (a splash of wine will unstick all those caramelized yummy bits on the bottom of the pan). Stir these yummies into the soup.

“In particular, chicken is an excellent source of the amino acid cysteine, which has been shown to help thin mucus and help you manage cold and flu symptoms.” The broth that serves as the base of chicken soup can also provide fluids and electrolytes that help the body fight off infections, Collier noted.

Cold-poaching the chicken breasts, then removing them until the end of the cooking process, guarantees a perfectly tender and juicy texture. Using stock reinforces the flavor of the broth, creating a more deeply flavorful soup.

Known to all, chicken is considered to be a great source of protein and amino acids that are really good for the growth of muscles and other tissues. Hence, a bowl of chicken soup can be a great addition in your daily diet.

Vegetable soup is one of the best soups to eat. Vegetable soup is made with potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans and green peas. The combined nutrition of each vegetable adds a great number of vitamins and minerals to your diet. Potatoes are a good source of potassium and carrots provide beta carotene.

While broth and stock both get richer and richer the longer you cook them, the problem is that the chicken meat will dry out and get tough if you let it go too long.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

Bone broth serves as a great way to replenish the fluids that you're losing, while also providing your body with valuable electrolytes from the sodium in the broth. These electrolytes will also help you absorb the water more easily.

Is chicken bouillon the same as chicken broth? ›

Bouillon is made by removing the water from chicken broth, leaving all the flavor of the broth without the volume. Bouillon is typically sold as a loose powder or compact cube, which can be redissolved in boiling water to create an instant broth. One benefit of using chicken bouillon is its shelf stability.

The famous chicken soup study from 2000 focused on its impact on inflammation. “The 2000 study basically found that chicken soup inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis, which is a fancy way of saying it helped temporarily decrease inflammation so those who were sick could temporarily breathe easier,” Pike said.

Since the chicken cooks right in the soup, it really helps to flavor the broth and make it so delicious. You can simmer the soup all day, which will give you more flavor. But if you're short on time, just a quick simmer to cook the chicken works too!

Vegetable broth is a simple one-to-one substitute that can stand in just about anywhere. This broth is made by steeping vegetables or vegetable scraps—and sometimes spices—instead of chicken in water.

You could definitely add the raw chicken thighs into the pot once the broth goes in, letting them boil to cook through, and then pull them out and slice them once fully cooked. Either way works just fine, but our preferred method is to sear them ahead of time!

When chicken cooks in soup, an amino acid called cysteine is released. Cysteine thins mucus in the lungs, aiding in chest decongestion and faster healing. Chicken also provides a great source of protein that is particularly helpful to muscles when your body feels weakened and drained during illness.

It has also been shown that chicken soup contains the amino acid cysteine, which is very similar to acetylcysteine, which is used by doctors for patients with bronchitis and other respiratory infections. Chicken soup is also known as "Jewish penicillin", either as ersatz penicillin, or as alternative to penicillin.

According to the study, undertaken by Nebraska Medical Center, chicken soup achieves these results by inhibiting something known as neutrophil chemotaxis. Basically, white blood cells behave differently after chicken soup, resulting in added anti-inflammatory activity.

And both Celis and Freidank agree that a whole chicken is the best choice for the best chicken soup. "I suggest a whole chicken and bones to create a more robust soup," Celis says. Although Freidank is team whole chicken, if a whole bird isn't the right choice for you he suggests using thigh quarters or just thighs.