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If you’re under the weather because of a Cold, Flu, or mild COVID-19, eating nutritious foods will help you feel better and recover faster. 

Chicken soup is one of the food options you should choose as it could soothe common symptoms of these diseases, such as fever, sore throat, and loss of appetite.

By following the recipe I recommend below, you can quickly make a chicken soup filled with the nutrition your body needs to fight bacterial or viral infections.  

Healthy Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe:

1. Take 2 pieces of boneless organic chicken breast halves; 
   • cut 1 green onion stalk into 3 pieces; 
   • cut 1 ginger into slices; 
2. Place the above ingredients into a saucepan, and then:
3. Add rice wine to the taste; 
4. Pour enough water to cover the meat;
5. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to a simmer;
6. Cover the saucepan and cook for 15 minutes.
7. While simmering the chicken, start to cut the following vegetables into cubes: 
   • 2 celery stalks;
   • 1 onion;
   • 1 carrot, and 
   • 2-3 shitake mushrooms
8. When the 15-minute simmering ends, transfer the cooked chicken meat into a soup pot, and strain the soup from the saucepan into the pot;
9. If you prefer additional broth, pour more water into the pot;
10. Shred the chicken and put them into the soup pot;
11. Bring the soup to a boil, then add all the vegetable cubes to the pot;
12. Cover the pot, turn the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes;
13. Add white pepper, garlic powder, sea salt, and ground turmeric; 
14. Wait for 1 more minute;
15. Now, the homemade hot chicken soup is ready to make you feel better and warm your spirit. 

What Makes This Chicken Soup Healthy? 

Chicken soup is not just a mother-hen myth for sick children. Several scientific studies have shown that it is the nutritious ingredient that makes the chicken soup a healthy food for respiratory infections:

• Allicin, the active ingredient in garlic, inhibits RNA synthesis of pathogens and reduces inflammatory reactions. 
• Phenolic compounds, the active ingredient in ginger, could ease inflammation and prevent DNA damage that may lead to cancer. 
• Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that can boost the body’s immune system.
• N-acetylcysteine in chicken soup strengthens immunity and helps thin and expel mucus buildup to alleviate symptoms.
• Carrots, celery, mushroom, and onion contain several antioxidants and minerals that help maintain an overall healthy condition for a speedy recovery.
• Proteins in the soup provide the building blocks for producing immunoglobulins or antibodies that your body’s immune system needs to fight respiratory infections. 

To help you learn how to make chicken soup at home quickly, watch this YouTube video on NFCR’s Cancer-Fighting Lifestyle Channel. I hope you will enjoy this homemade chicken soup, get all the benefits of it, and stay healthy.

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References:

1. Antibacterial effect of Allium sativum cloves and Zingiber officinale rhizomes against multiple-drug resistant clinical pathogens. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed,  2012.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23569978/

2. Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro. Cancers,September 8, 2020.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/9/2557

3. Why doctors say, chicken noodle soup helps with the virus. WKBN First News, January 7, 2022.

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/why-doctors-say-chicken-noodle-soup-helps-with-virus/

4. N-acetylcysteine inhibits Na+ absorption across human nasal epithelial cells. J Cell Physiol,  2004. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15281093/