The elixir of recovery is in your reach…
It seems everywhere I turn this winter someone is sick or is on the verge of being sick. It is a particularly nasty one this year. Friends and family, as well as clients are going down with not just a winter cold but the flu, or the flu and mycoplasma pneumonia, or whooping cough.
I have been almost on auto-pilot making my now somewhat famous, chicken soup. I’m making it so much I can regularly hand it out to friends, at the same time as keeping enough for my familly.
It is without doubt, the best way to recover from any of these winter bugs and will reduce how long you are unwell for. The phlegm reduction is also a huge bonus which I’m loving.
Since I’m a herbalist by trade, I pop quite a few herbal goodies into the soup to help reduce the phlegm and improve the gut healing benefits. You can thank the ginger, cinnamon and fennel for that. So without further adieu, here it is:
Rebecca’s Recovery Soup
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (organic where possible)
3 Cinnamon Quills – I buy big bags from a Chinese grocer. It’s wondeful to warm you up and to improve micro blood circulation – think warmer toes.
Half a handful of Shan Zha/ Hawthorn Berry – great to reduce food stagnation and improve digestion (find this in Chinese supermarkets)
5 red dates – excellent to improve your Qi and move it and nourish your blood
5 little tomatoes or 2 large ones – for sweetness and delicousness
Half a handful of fennel seeds – excellent to warm your digestion and move stagnant Qi reducing wind and inducing a sense of calm
5 slices of fresh ginger
A generous splash of apple cider vinegar (this helps pull the goodness out of the bones)
Salt and pepper for the end (don’t put this in at the start or you won’t get good osmosis happening with the goodness coming out of the bones)
Fish sauce at the end if you like
Plus you can add your shallots and brocolli, celery, carrot, whatever you wish to get your fibre in :)
You can also add your favourite noodles too
Method:
First of all, boil up the chicken to clean it and get rid of the scum. Wash all the herbs you’re going to put in and cut up a chunck of ginger into five slices. Then place all the ingredients into the pot, add enough water to cover the chicken by about 10 cm and bring it to the boil. Then simmer it on low for 6 hours.
I actually use a pressure cooker and cook it for 1.5 hours (which is like doing it in real time for almost 6 hours).
That’s it folks. It’s that easy and fast to get going. Then you can add anything you like after it’s made; vegetables, noodles, fish sauce, salt and pepper. It is delicious. Some days I might also add a dolop of miso for a difference and it’s great for your gut microbes too!
Now you’re on a fast track to recovery – just keep popping this on the stove and it won’t disappoint.
If you’ve got any comments or have questions, let me know know below or get in touch via email.
