Have you ever heard of the old wives tale that chicken soup has healing properties? Well lets look at why.
Chicken soup is full of nutrients such as vitamins Bs, C, D, E, K, carnosine, antioxidants, protein, amino acids, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. This bowl of warm, nourishing food offers so many healing effects for the winter cold and flu!
In times of illness it is important to stay hydrated and chicken soup has all the minerals for that. The protein, Vit Bs, C,D and E all encourage a boost in the immune system with carnosine, an amino acid, helping to fight the early stages of colds and flus. The anti-oxidants of Vitamin C, K and minerals help to fight viruses. It has anti-inflammatory properties to heal the inflammation effect of increasing nasal and airway congestion by repairing and calming the mucus lining. Lastly it is the ultimate in warm winter comfort food as chicken is high in tryptophan which helps with the production of serotonin, the happy hormone!
So try Lucy’s recipe below, you can buy her chicken and get your veggies from the market, or if you want to, stock up on this medicine food in case the dreaded lurgy knocks at your door, Lucy has her yummy chicken broth for sale.
Chinese Chicken Sweet Corn Soup
INGREDIENTS
1 pasture raised chicken breast fillet skin on
1L Chicken broth
1 splash sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 chicken stock cube
375g canned creamed corn
2 tbs cornflour
2 eggs
2 spring onions chopped *optional
METHOD
Cover chicken fillet with water and simmer until cooked.
Remove chicken, cool and remove the skin. Discard skin but keep water.
Shred the chicken into long strips, but do not chop.
In a pot combine chicken stock, ginger powder, sesame oil, crumbled chicken stock cube and creamed sweetcorn.
Bring to the boil.
Add the shredded chicken and bring back to boil.
Mix cornflour with small amount of chicken water to form a thin paste. Drizzle into the soup, mixing thoroughly.
Mix in 1 or 2 eggs together with a dash of the chicken water, then drizzle it into the pot very slowly from about 15 cm above the pot.
Garnish with chopped spring onions or coriander and enjoy!