Whenever anyone in our family starts to come down with a cold, I get out the stock pot and make a great big batch of chicken stock so I can make lots of chicken soup! There’s nothing better than old-fashioned chicken soup when you’re feeling achy and miserable, in the throes of a bad cold. But when you get tired of ‘old-fashioned’ chicken soup, try this one for a change. This is my new favourite – it’s so delicious, and the fresh herbs and spices and chilli are great for colds, not to mention the thick, jellyish, golden stock. It’s a comforting remedy for colds, chills and sore throats. (Adapted from recipes in “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon.)
It really is true that a rich chicken broth – the famous Jewish penicillin – is a wonderful remedy for the flu.
"Science validates what our grandmothers knew. Rich, homemade chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily - not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons, stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain."
Weston A. Price Foundation
So get out your stock pot and start cooking!
See this recipe for how to cook up the delicious and nutritious chicken broth for this soup:
Photo credits: Arwen’s Thermo Pics
Coconut Lemon Chicken Soup
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- Author: QuirkyJo
Ingredients
4–5cm fresh ginger
2–3cm fresh turmeric
2–3 large cloves garlic
a handful of fresh coriander
2 spring onions, quartered
1 red chilli, seeds removed
1 litre homemade chicken stock
400g coconut milk (tinned or homemade)
30g fresh lemon juice
2 tsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp preservative-free fish sauce
fine sea salt & pepper to taste
200–300g cooked chicken, leftover from making broth
extra sliced spring onions and coriander for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Thermomix Method:
- Chop ginger, turmeric, garlic, coriander, spring onions and chilli in Thermomix bowl for 5 sec/speed 7.
- Remove half of the mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Leave remaining mixture in bowl.
- Add stock to bowl and cook for 10 mins/100C/speed 1. (If stock is already hot, just bring to the boil.)
- Add coconut cream, lemon juice, coconut sugar, fish sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook 10 mins/100C/speed 1.
- Add cooked chicken and cook 2 mins/100C/reverse/speed soft.
- Add reserved herb mixture and stir through for a few seconds on reverse/speed soft.
- Pour into bowls, and garnish with extra spring onions and coriander if desired.
Stovetop Method:
- Finely chop ginger, turmeric, garlic, coriander, spring onions and chilli. Mix together in a bowl.
- Place half of the mixture into a large saucepan. Add stock, bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins.
- Add coconut cream, lemon juice, coconut sugar, fish sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 10 mins.
- Add cooked chicken and simmer until warmed through.
- Add remaining minced herbs, garlic, ginger, turmeric mixture, and stir through.
- Pour into bowls, and garnish with extra spring onions and coriander if desired.
Thanks Jo this was loved tonight! So fresh and full of flavour!! Xx
This soup was amazing I used pre made chicken stock but still delish
Do you think this would be ok made with beef broth?
I don’t think it would be as nice with beef broth…
I’m wondering, if I’m using chicken bone broth should I still use a litre or dilute as the flavour will be very strong if all bone broth?
Would it be okay to use frah i.e uncooked chicken so it poaches in the soup?
Yes, I have done that, just cut it quite samll and add it at step 2.
Delicious!! I used leftover BBq chook from the shops and home made chicken stock.
Can this be made with “Broth of Life” bottles chicken broth concerntrate?
Yes, you could use the chicken broth powder to make a chicken broth, but I have to say it will taste so much nicer with homemade broth!! 🙂
Hi I am wondering if you can share the broth recipe?
Here you are: https://quirkycooking.com.au/2014/05/bone-broths-meat-stocks/
Enjoy!
Best soup! I’ve always used my mums chicken soup receipe when I was feeling sick or wanted something comforting, this is just amazing xx thanks for all your inspiring receipes, I love your life changing receipe book and use it so much. Having just changed alot of my diet for health reasons it’s so nice to still be able to enjoy so much delicious food.
Will you be holding any seminars in adelaide this year?
I just made this soup and can’t wait to eat it for our dinner. I even made your chicken broth to use. There are just a couple of points I found when making up the recipe. Firstly, with the reserved herbs it may be a good idea in Step 3 to add except chicken & reserved herbs and secondly there is no mention what to do with the chili. Should be be chopped in Step 1.
My fave soup ever! Just made vegan and keto with veggie stock and kognac noodles. So yummy!
Hi Jo
I have your Life Changing Food cook book and I’m making your chicken broth, just wondering where I can find the thermomix recipe so it’s done in an hour? House full of colds and flu!
Love your books!
Amy
Made this for the first time after a friend linked me to it. Holy moly – delicious is an understatement! I made the broth and poached chicken first then the soup that evening. I’ll be making double batches in the future! Thank you.
Wow, this was wonderful. We have all got the flu and feeling horrible and this soup just hit the spot.
I have been on the keto diet and was thinking that the GAPS program may be what I am looking for. I have your first book, which is wonderful by the way.
Will definitly be buying the second
I made the broth this afternoon and the soup tonight as Most members of our family have heavy colds and coughs.
OMG I’m in heaven – it was a taste sensation!
It will definitely be my new go to ‘sick’ soup.
Thanks for another great recipe Jo.
Excellent recipe. I didn’t need the sugar or fish sauce. Thank you!
When and how do you put the chilli in?
Hi Hannah! 🙂 In step 1 with the other aromatics.
Hi there. What kind of spring onions are used in this? I always think of spring onions as the long green ones but the fact that this recipe says ‘quartered’ makes me wonder if it means the small onions a bit like shallots?? I have the long green ones so can I substitute them? Thanks
Hi Sandy, you’re correct – the spring onions are the long green ones so you would quarter them lengthways. xx
Oh man, I’ve been wanting to make this soup for years and finally did tonight. This was soooo good and the one in the house with the manflu had seconds. I didn’t have time to make broth this time but I bought chicken bone broth from our local health food store. I cut up raw chicken breast into thin strips and added it into step 2. I also added green beans in the last 5-10 mins. I found this also really fun to make, with the beautiful smells and colours (does that sound weird?! I don’t care if it does haha). Safe to say this will become our new ‘chicken soup’. Thanks, Jo!
Oh yay Tara…that’s fantastic! Not weird at all…haha, totally get it! 😉 Glad you love this soup. xx
Absolutely love this dish! Thank you for sharing.
Yay, thanks Lara! 🙂 xx
Love this recipe Jo! Such a good one to have in the freezer!
Yes, it’s great to have on hand when you need it. Glad you love it! xx
A friend suggested I make this today as I have a head cold – oh my goodness, it’s soooooo delicious – THANK YOU!
Hi Libby! What an awesome friend! 😉 Hope you are feeling much better very soon. xx
Genius! The flavours, thanks Jo it’s our new fave!
Do you know what the calories are for this soup?
Awesome Janet, glad you like it! 🙂 No sorry, we don’t count calories here at QC. 😉 Maybe do a google search and see if you can find a calorie calculator to add it in to. xx
Thank you Jo this was loved tonight! So fresh and full of flavour!! Xx
You’re welcome Dinesh! So glad you loved it. 🙂
Made this last week when I was feeling quite unwell and it was the pick me up that I and my family needed!! Delish!!
Glad you enjoyed it Alicia! Hope you are on the mend. xx
It may just be me but sometimes a recipe has all of these fresh amazing flavours in it and once it’s cooked those flavours have disappeared… this soup packs a flavour punch and all of those fresh ingredients were shining through and it was delicious!!
Sorry for a silly question but is spring onion the French eschalot or the long green ones? Many thanks.
The long green ones. Don’t worry, I always get confused too!!!
Well what a surprise just thought that sounds nice & thank you so much just a gorgeous taste .
We really enjoyed this soup made in the thermomix
So happy you loved it!
Made this for my daughter who had been under the weather, using coriander, spring onions, lemon and chilli all from the garden 🙂
We added a packet of fresh thin rice noodles with the chicken at the end, and absolutely LOVED it, and I think it will be a regular winter staple in this household! Thanks so much for such a delicious and nutritious recipe!
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy you liked it.
Hi there,
Just wondering dies the garlic, ginger and Tumeric go in raw?
Thanks
Hi Shona. Yes, raw for sure:-)
I made this recipe last night, tastes were delicious. It turned out well.
Hi Nancy. So glad you it turned out delicious and that you enjoyed it. It is one of our favourites:-). Thank you
Yummy ????. This is delicious Jo, thanks for sharing this great recipe. I used 2 TSP of ground tumeric as I couldn’t find fresh and it worked pretty good, fresh would be better. Added Konjac noodles, yum!! Added to the winter menu ❤️
So glad you loved it:-)!!!
Omg this soup was delicious and had so much flavour,do you think if I was to substitute chicken for seafood with this dish
Yes definitely! Just add the fish right at the end so you don’t overcook it! 🙂