Aunt Be's Recipe for Healing Chicken Soup

Here we go again; sniffles, coughing, blowing our nose and basically hacking up a lung while trying to  take care of our family, working and dealing with everyone's cooties! Try this easy recipe to have on hand and keep your downtime to a minimum.

Now, I use an Instant Pot, but before that I cooked this on the stove, or you can use a crockpot as well. Totally up to you. I'm going to give you the Instant Pot version, but feel free to use whatever method floats your boat. Just make sure you cook your chicken long enough!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (without antibiotics and hopefully free range)
32 oz organic/low sodium chicken broth (NOT bouillon cubes)
1 large chopped onion (I prefer brown, but up to you)
3 cloves of diced garlic 
2 Tablespoons of Fire Cider Vinegar (you can usually purchase at health food store or your local farmer's market - you can substitute for apple cider vinegar)
2-3 yellow squash, cut into bite size pieces
2-3 zucchini squash cut into bite size pieces
4 carrots (I don't peel) cut into bite size pieces
4-5 stalks of celery cut into bite size pieces
4-5 red potatoes cut into bite size pieces (I like the peel on)
7-8 chopped shitake mushrooms (if using dried, soak in hot water for 5 minutes with a cover and add the water to your soup with the chicken broth)
2-4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of basil
2 teaspoons of Himalayan sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or a thumb of grated fresh ginger
1/2 head of cabbage (kale works, too), chopped
Lemon
Avocado

Okay, now for your instructions:
I cut the whole chicken in half and place in the Instant Pot with the chicken broth, onion and garlic. Select 'poultry' and cook for 45 minutes. Remove chicken when cooked and leave the broth.

Now add everything else except cabbage, lemon, avocado and the cooked chicken. You might need to add enough liquid to cover your ingredients. Use water or more chicken broth. Press 'soup' on instant pot for 1 hour.

In the meantime debone your chicken into bite size pieces, but don't throw anything (yes, that means keep those bones, skin and gristle) away as I want to give you the recipe for Healing Bone Broth, too!

When your soup is done release the pressure and stir in the cabbage and chicken. Take a taste (it's gonna be HOT) and add any additional spices or salt. Now, just pressure cook on low for 5 minutes.

To serve, ladle up this amazing soup and squeeze half a lemon on each serving. I like using one of those citrus squeezer things so I don't get any seeds and the optimum amount of juice. Next, garnish with ripe avocado. You can also add sour cream. Soooo yummy!!

Now, to make my super sonic heals everything chicken bone broth!!!

Ingredients:
6 chicken feet with nails chopped off (soooo healing and an amazing source of collagen, you can find them at most Asian markets)
Bones from cooked chicken
Gristle and skin from cooked chicken
1 large quartered onion
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 thumb of grated ginger or 1 tsp of ground ginger
2 teaspoons of turmeric
2 Tablespoons of Fire Cider Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
32 oz of organic and low sodium chicken broth
16 oz of water

Dump everything into the Instant Pot pressing soup/broth twice and cook for 4 hours. 
Release the pressure valve and pour over a colander to capture the bone broth only.  Refrigerate and drink 2-4 cups daily when you're sick. My daughter puts it in ice cube trays in the freezer so she can readily have it available for whoever needs it.

A few notes: Using a microwave kills a lot of the nutrients so if you can, please heat up on the stove. A lot of items can be substituted or omitted. Sometimes I add waaaay more garlic and ginger, just depends on how sick I am or those around me. 

I know chicken feet sound gross and I was totally freaked out, too. It's super easy to use kitchen shears and just snip off their little toe nails. Or, make someone else do this part. When You drink the broth there's gonna be a little fat and floaty bits, just drink it! It's good for you!!! 

Enjoy and Be Well!!!

​Aunt Be