healing slow cooker chicken soup

Healing Slow Cooker Chicken Soup

healing slow cooker chicken soup

I make some form of a healing soup every time anyone says they feel they might be getting sick. So, last week when Steve was past the point of “almost” getting sick — I mean way into the multi-tissue phase of a cold, I brought out the big guns and made this healing slow cooker chicken soup.

Usually when I make chicken soup, I let it simmer on the stove and go about my business. This time, I just didn’t have the time to stay in, so I broke out the slow cooker. And let me tell you, not only is this soup delicious, but this healing slow cooker chicken soup really lives up to its name! Steve had a bowl that night for dinner, then another for breakfast (this surprised me because, although I would easily do this, I was shocked that he actually ate soup for breakfast), and then again for dinner. This stuff really is better than any cold medicine you can buy.

I like to use bone broth instead of traditional stock or broth whenever I make my soups. This really amps up the healing benefits. Read my article on the 5 Reasons You Need To Add Bone Broth To Your Diet. This info will turn you into a bone broth fanatic too!

This is not you mother’s chicken soup. The broth is filled with garlic and ginger and scallions — a whole arsenal of germ and bacteria fighting warriors! I used lots of veggies (I even substituted turnips for potatoes), kicked it up with some Chinese herbs, and made it paleo-friendly by using zucchini noodles instead of traditional pasta.

This healing slow cooker chicken soup is so easy to make, so potent, and so delicious, you’ll never so back to your mother’s soup… ssshhhhh, don’t tell mama….

I’m on a big customized-recipe-creation kick right now (okay… always…), so let me customize a recipe for you that will work for whatever’s going on in your body now… I’m such a geek that I really do get excited about doing this. I’ve got a healing soup recipe with your name on it…  So CLICK HEREto be taken directly into my calendar to sign up for your free phone consultation.

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And, now that fall is just about here, you should also make my Butternut Squash And Apple Soup!

healing slow cooker chicken soup

Here are some of the amazing things this soup does:

Chicken is something I push people to buy organic if possible. Organic chicken is a great, healthy protein to give you energy, lessen the pain of some types of arthritis, and boost your system when you are particularly weak — like after surgery or childbirth. People who have some conditions that we consider “excess heat” conditions should limit the amount of chicken they eat. So, if you have an illness that gives you a bright red tongue or severe dryness in your body, check with your doctor first. For example, if you have a lot of burning stomach acid, you should avoid chicken for awhile…

Bone broth is filled with bone marrow and essential fatty acids — these things promote optimal brain health. It also contains glycine, which is an amino acid that helps with memory, concentration, stress, and focus.  You can make your own bone broth, but you don’t have to anymore. Bone broth is now available in tons of markets. It’s sold in boxes just like chicken or vegetable broth. The glucosamine in bone broth can reduce inflammation and strengthen the bones. It’s also great for your skin, hair, and nails. This is a great thing to use for a quick soup base, or to just sip on during the day. Sometimes I’ll have a hot cup of bone broth first thing in the morning for a quick healing pick me up.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Scallions, as I tell you often, are one of my favorites. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb (Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever.

GingerChinese herb (Sheng Jiang). It’s especially good during cold weather and also during seasonal changes. So, when winter is trying to turn into spring, and we (those of us on the east coast) get some of those cold, raw, damp days, ginger will make you feel better and will help boost your immune system. Old folklore shows that ginger was rubbed on scalps to stop baldness. And, in some circles, a ginger paste is still rubbed on arthritic joints to stop pain (don’t try this at home unless you are diagnosed with a cold-condition by an acupuncturist).

Turnips are great for indigestion. They help relieve that horrible bloated feeling we all get sometimes and they reduce excess gas and diarrhea. Research shows that turnips contain a substance that may reduce your risk of colon, prostate, and lung cancer. These bulbous vegetables contain a good amount of vitamins B and C and they provide calcium and potassium, and they can help your cough. In Chinese medicine turnips (wu jing) are known to help reduce inflammation and phlegm.

Dill is considered a chemoprotective herb that can help neutralize some carcinogens and it’s also an antibacterial herb.

Zucchini cools your body off and makes you feel better during those hot days of summer. It helps your body release excess heat and it will make your mind feel more calm.

healing slow cooker chicken soup

If you make this Healing Slow Cooker Chicken Soup recipe, please be sure to let me know in the comments below. I love hearing how you like a recipe, and I love to answer your questions! If you make it, be sure to take a photo and tag me and post it on Instagram.

5.0 from 3 reviews
Healing Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: paleo, whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free
Cuisine: soup, one-pot meal
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
This soup really lives up to its name. Make a pot of this when you are feeling sick and let the healing begin! It's filled with garlic, ginger, scallions and other healing ingredients.
Ingredients
  • 2-1/2 lb. bone-in, organic chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
  • 1 qt chicken bone broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 2 turnips, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick slices
  • 3 large (or 6 smaller) garlic cloves, smashed
  • 5 slices of peeled ginger (about ¼-inch thick)
  • 3 scallions, sliced (add the roots of the scallions too)
  • 1 Tbs fresh dill, chopped (use more if you like)
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups zucchini noodles (use a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler, or buy them pre- "zoodled")
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients, except zucchini, to the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on high heat for 4 hours.
  3. Remove the chicken to a plate and remove the meat from the bones.
  4. Discard the bones and add the chicken back into the soup.
  5. Add zucchini and cook for another 30 minutes.
  6. Ladle into bowls and let the healing begin.
  7. Enjoy!

healing slow cooker chicken soup

12 replies
    • Stacey Isaacs
      Stacey Isaacs says:

      Hi Helen! Absolutely yes! I will sometimes make it in the slow cooker — it’s delicious! Let me know how you like it!

      Reply
  1. Jordan M Kersten
    Jordan M Kersten says:

    This soup was amazing! My partner and I were both coming down with some sort of virus last night, and I made this soup to help us fight it off. We both had one bowl for dinner, breakfast and lunch .. and now there’s only a few bowls’ worth left! We’re already feeling better. I made a couple changes– used potatoes instead of turnips, increased the amount of ginger slightly, left out the dill and zucchini, and added sauerkraut and avocado after the soup was completed. Most of those changes were just due to convenience and what things I had available when I made the soup. Also, since we were struggling with tummy symptoms, the extra ginger and sauerkraut was helpful. My partner LOVED the soup and has requested the recipe himself. Thanks so much for sharing this and helping us heal!

    Reply
    • Stacey Isaacs
      Stacey Isaacs says:

      Jordan, I love that you love this soup as much as I do! Food really is medicine, and this soup is so healing! Adding sauerkraut is a great idea. Avocado too… I’m making it your way next time!

      Reply
  2. Brian Sweet
    Brian Sweet says:

    Thanks for the recipe! I wasn’t feeling well today, so I came looking for something to help speed my recovery. This looked great, so I decided to try it. I used only one onion, but doubled the scallions and added a leek. I used a cup of quinoa instead of zucchini noodles, added a couple of quajillo peppers and shiitake mushrooms to it, some cayenne, old bay, and turmeric for seasoning, and then added about 2 cups of kale at the end to wilt. It is fantastic, and full of goodness. I’m looking forward to this being my meals for the next few days. I’m sure my body will thank me.

    Reply
    • Stacey Isaacs
      Stacey Isaacs says:

      Hi Brian! Wow, your soup sounds so delicious! I love that you made it your way and that you fit it to your needs. Sometimes I add extra greens to my soup too and I love that!

      Reply
  3. Linda
    Linda says:

    Great recipe! One comment: I assume “discard the bones” is mistake and you probably use the chicken bones to make bone broth, right?

    Reply
    • Stacey Isaacs
      Stacey Isaacs says:

      Hi Linda, haha yes I would never discard bones without making broth from them. In this case, the broth has been made already, but you could save them or cook them longer to get the full benefits of bone broth.

      Reply

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