Chicken soup is an old favorite to help combat the dreaded lurgies that start creeping in once the weather changes!

Why not cook up a batch to have on hand and store in the freezer. We all have our favorites, but here’s my version of a chicken soup recipe that I have been using for more than 30 years, which originated from my Grandmothers recipe. I have changed it over the years to maximise the therapeutic value and nicknamed it ‘Flu soup’. Happy cooking!

Chicken (Flu) Soup Ingredients

  • 1 kg Chicken legs (organic if possible)
  • 2 Litres Chicken stock (Homemade if possible– see recipe below)
  • 2 Medium onions diced
  • 2 Medium carrots diced
  • 2 Stalks celery diced
  • 1 Leek rinsed well and finely sliced
  • ½ Cup raw buckwheat
  • 4 Cloves garlic
  • 4 Bay leaves
  • Few sprigs fresh Thyme
  • 2 tblsp coconut/olive oil

Method:
Heat oil in pan, sautee onions, carrots, leek, celery and herbs until vegies are tender.
Add chicken legs and cook until browned slightly.
Add chicken stock and bring to boil then simmer for 1 hr & 15 min, add buckwheat and simmer for further 20mins. Add crushed garlic and simmer for further 10 mins.
Store in the fridge below 5 degrees C for up to 5 days or in smaller separate containers to freeze.
• Option – Add 180g shitake mushrooms just prior to adding chicken to pan.

Chicken stock (for slow cooker) Ingredients
2 Chicken carcasses
1 onion roughly chopped
1 large carrot roughly chopped
2 stalks celery roughly chopped
1 x 3cm knob ginger cut in 6
1 x 3cm knob fresh turmeric cut in 6
4 cloves garlic
Few sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
1 large chilli sliced lengthwise
Enough water to cover ingredients in stock pot, this will differ due to the size of the pot.
Method:
Roast chicken carcass/bones at 180 degrees until browned.
Add to slow cooker bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, cover with water and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours. Alternatively this can be cooked on the stove top in a large stock pot – simmer for 2-3 hours.
*In this pot, I had no buckwheat left and ran out of mushrooms after making a vegetarian version of this soup. But I had tuscan kale in my garden, so I added 5 leaves of that.

Vegetarian version to follow soon.