Immune Boosting Chicken Soup

Serves 6

Recipe from ‘Cooking for your Child'

When feeling under the weather there is nothing more soothing than a bowl of home-made chicken soup. Onions and garlic contain potent anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and the minerals extracted form the prolonged simmering of the bones combine to produce an immune-boosting potion. The occasional cold or illness is a natural part of life. Let them play out their course while nourishing the body with healing, immune-boosting foods.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
  • 1 free-range chicken carcass or use the left over carcass from roast chicken
  • 1 bulb of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • soup mix or risoni (rice shaped pasta)
  • 3 carrots, grated
  • 4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
  • Sprig of parsley, chopped
  • Salt to taste

In a large saucepan cover the carcass with 8 cups of cold water. Add the garlic cloves and onion and bring to a boil. Gently simmer for 30-45 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface with a spoon or small sieve. The bitter foam can boil back into the soup and taint the flavour.

Use tongs to remove the carcass into a colander. Return to the heat and add the soup mix or pasta, vegetables and chopped parsley. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the soup mix or pasta is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile, remove meat from the chicken carcass and add to the soup.

Slow-cooker variation - alternatively cook the chicken carcass in a slow-cooker for 2-3 hours, then add the soup mix and vegetables and cooking for a further hour.