This turmeric ginger chicken soup is filled with nutrient-dense herbs, spices, and veggies that are high in antimicrobial properties, healing broth, and immune-supporting vitamins like vitamin C, making it the perfect soup to enjoy during cold and flu season.
You know the feeling — you start to feel a little under the weather and all of a sudden you are googling “how do I boost my immune system NOW”. But unfortunately, this really shouldn’t be the way that we are thinking about our immune health. You see rather than waiting for your immune system to be under attack, why not just support it all year long with nutrient-dense whole foods that are incredible at supporting a healthy immune system — sounds like a good idea right?
What Is Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup?
Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup is an immune boosting twist on a classic cold weather staple that is perfect to make when you are starting to feel a little under the weather. Filled with nourishing broth and nutrient dense herbs, spices, and veggies this turmeric ginger chicken soup is a cold and flu season staple.
What You Will Need To Make This Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup
With the exception of a few ingredients, you most likely will be able to find the vast majority of ingredients for this turmeric ginger chicken soup already in your pantry.
Stock
- 1 whole chicken
- 8 cups water
- 1 leek
- 1 onion (quartered)
- 1 carrot (sliced in half)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek sliced finely
- 1/2 fennel bulk sliced finely (core removed)
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 thumb size knob of ginger (minced)
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Optional: 1/2 cup brown rice
How To Make Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup
If you have ever made homemade chicken soup from scratch then the steps for this recipe are going to feel pretty similar. Like most soups, using high quality ingredients and allowing the soup to simmer will result in a much more flavorful turmeric ginger soup.
Step One
In a large pot combine water, chicken, leek, onion, carrot, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Step Two
Bring to boil over high heat and then reduce to simmer.
Step Three
Allow the broth to simmer for 25 minutes, flipping the chicken half way, and remove from heat once chicken has cooked fully.
Step Four
Next remove the chicken from the broth and place on a cutting board.
Step Five
Then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, making sure to catch the broth in a separate bowl.
Step Six
In the same large pot over medium heat combine olive oil, leek, fennel, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and fennel seeds.
Step Seven
Allow the spices and vegetables to cook until slightly softened, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon to keep from sticking to the pot.
Step Eight
Once vegetables have cooked slightly, add the broth back into the pot, bring to a boil.
Step Nine
Reduce the heat and bring the turmeric ginger chicken soup to a simmer over medium-low heat, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Step Ten
After 20 minutes add the sliced carrots and continue to simmer.
Step Eleven
While the turmeric ginger chicken soup is simmering pull the chicken from the bone and shred using a fork.
Step Twelve
Add the shredded chicken to the turmeric ginger chicken soup and continue simmering for an additional 5 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked in the soup.
Serve hot and sprinkle with parsley and additional salt and pepper to taste.
Tips For Making The Best Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup
- Choose High Quality Ingredients: If at all possible choose a local pasture raised chicken for this turmeric ginger chicken soup. Not only will the chicken have more omega-3 fatty acids, it will also taste SO much better. The same goes for your veggies. Often local farmers markets will carry root vegetables like carrots and ginger long into the cold weather months.
- Make The Rice Separately: While you can make the rice right in the soup itself, if you plan to save this soup to freeze or store in the fridge for a few days, I find that cooking the rice in the soup can make it a little starchy. Instead cook your rice separately and add to your soup as desired.
- Use Fresh Ginger: If you can find fresh ginger this will make a huge difference in the flavor of your turmeric ginger soup.
Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 75 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The best turmeric ginger chicken soup for cold days or when you are feeling a little under the weather.
Ingredients
Stock
- 1 whole chicken
- 8 cups water
- 1 leek
- 1 onion (quartered)
- 1 carrot (sliced in half)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek sliced finely
- 1/2 fennel bulk sliced finely (core removed)
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 thumb size knob of ginger (minced)
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Optional: 1/2 cup brown rice
Instructions
- In a large pot combine water, chicken, leek, onion, carrot, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to boil over high heat and then reduce to simmer.
- Allow the broth to simmer for 25 minutes, flipping the chicken half way, and remove from heat once chicken has cooked fully.
- Next remove the chicken from the broth and place on a cutting board.
- Then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, making sure to catch the broth in a separate bowl.
- In the same large pot over medium heat combine olive oil, leek, fennel, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and fennel seeds.
- Allow the spices and vegetables to cook until slightly softened, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon to keep from sticking to the pot.
- Once vegetables have cooked slightly, add the broth back into the pot, bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and bring the turmeric ginger chicken soup to a simmer over medium-low heat, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes add the sliced carrots and continue to simmer.
- While turmeric ginger chicken soup is simmering pull the chicken from the bone and shred using a fork.
- Add the shredded chicken to the turmeric ginger chicken soup and continue simmering for an additional 5 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked in the soup.
- Serve hot and sprinkle with parsley and additional salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
If you would like to add rice to your soup I would recommend making it in a separate pot on the stove and then adding some rice to each individual soup bowl as desired. While you can add raw rice directly to your soup while it is cooking, it will soak up a lot of the broth and will create a much starchier/thicker soup for leftovers. For these reasons, I prefer to make/store it separately and add as desired to each persons individual bowl.
To make rice perfectly every time use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. Bring your water first to a boil and then once boiling add the rice, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to simmer. Different types of rice will cook at different speeds, so your best bet is to watch your rice and once it has absorbed all the water and is nice and fluffy you will know that it is done.
Keywords: ginger chicken soup, turmeric ginger chicken soup
