Garlic and Ginger Chicken Soup – AKA – Get Well Soon Soup

Garlic and Ginger Chicken Soup – AKA – Get Well Soon Soup – There is little worse then being sick, like sick sick. It is no fun at all. Today in my house, both my husband and my son are sick, sick. It is so very sad and pitiful to me to see them this way. There’s not a whole lot you can do for them. That makes it even worse. The one thing I can do though that always helps is make my “Get Well Soon Soup“. Colds and flu run when they see this soup coming-LOL :D! Why, because of the main ingredients – garlic, onions, and ginger. They have serious healing ability :D! Garlic and onions are in the Allium family, (the lily family) and are full of antioxidants and phytonutrients. Garlic has been shown to be a natural anti-biotic. It fights colds and flus, because it contains allicin which is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Garlic also kills pathogenic microbes and promotes sweating. It is known not just for eliminating harmful bacteria, but also worms and yeasts in the digestive tract while promoting healthy intestinal flora. Onions are also a natural antibiotic and even have anti-inflammatory properties. Studies also show onions to be an effective expectorant. So, they are helpful if you have a cough. Both Garlic and onions maintain more of their healing benefits when eaten raw or only lightly cooked. We are cooking this soup, so if you want more healing properties, add a little raw garlic in at the end along with some raw green onions or shallots. Ginger is a perennial herb native to China and India. Ginger treats nausea and morning sickness and has been shown to prevent and treat motion sickness. It also induces sweating, which helps fevers run their course. And, it boosts the immune system. Ginger can be cooked and still maintain it’s healing properties (ginger tea is awesome :D)! And what about the chicken? Plain old boiled chicken has been shown to inhibit neutrophil activity. Neutrophil activity stimulates the release of mucous (gross I know, but I thought you may want to know), which may be the cause of the coughs and the stuffy nose caused by colds. Now that I’ve told you all of the disgusting unappetizing stuff, I’d like to say that this soup is also super yummy when you’re not sick – I’ll be having a bowl myself here shortly! Happy Cooking!

Add the Chicken, Carrots, Ginger and Onion into a Pot.

Ingredients

18 garlic cloves (15 are for the soup and the rest are to mince and put in raw (see explanation above))
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 white onion
3 Tablespoons ginger
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
dash pepper
1 whole chicken
1 quart of chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 bay leaf
1 box whole wheat noodles

Optional
1 Tablespoon green onions, sliced, per bowl (optional, see explanation above)
or
1 teaspoon shallots, minced, per bowl (optional, see explanation above)
or
1 teaspoon garlic, minced, per bowl (optional, see explanation above)

Cook until the Chicken is Done.

Instructions

1. Peel and mince the garlic (or pulse them in a food processor).
2. Peel and chop the carrots, celery, onion and ginger.
3. Heat the oils in a large sauce pot.
4. Saute the garlic, carrots, celery, onion and ginger in the oil along with a teaspoon of Kosher Salt and pepper until the onions are trasnlucent.
5. Add the chicken to the pot.
6. Add the chicken stock to the pot along with enough water to almost cover the chicken. Also, add the bay leaf.
7. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
8. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of it’s thigh.
9. Remove the chicken and bring the liquid to a boil, then add the noodles and cook them for 8 minutes.
10. While the noodles are cooking, shred your chicken using a fork and tongs. Be careful, it’s hot.
11. Add about 1/3 of the chicken back into the soup and it’s ready to serve. Save the other 2/3 of the chicken for another meal. I will add some links for some suggestions. It was important to use the whole chicken because the bones and fat have germ fighting goodness :)
12. Place in bowls with any of the extra garnishes like the garlic, green onions, or shallots and enjoy!

Sources for further info on the healing properties of onions, ginger, and garlic.
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/diet.fitness/10/17/chicken.soup.reut/

http://www.amritaveda.com/learning/articles/ginger.asp

http://www.whole-body-detox-diet.com/leeks.html

http://cmcmurray.wrytestuff.com/swa547629-The-Powerful-Healing-Properties-Of-Onions.htm