We all know the good old “chicken soup” is considered one of the best natural remedies for the flu. Every time I got it, my mum cooked soup to make me feel better. However, due to my 3-year vegetarianism, the soups had only veggies but honestly, it was still delicious.

Frankly, I don’t like the chicken soups which are served in fast-food chains and restaurants because they add too much sunflower oil and they make it with spaghetti. Sunflower oil and spaghetti are not a bad thing to consume but if you want to enhance your micronutrient profile, it would be better to rely on vegetables. I prefer eating something which ingredients would boost my metabolism and that would fuel my body with essential vitamins and minerals. And also, I believe that everything that is cooked at home is better.

In my version of the soup, I have added various veggies and diced chicken fillet.

A tip: If you leave your mushrooms on the window, they will soak the sunlight with its vitamin D. Mushrooms provide good amount of it in. So use them as a natural way to increase your vitamin D consumption. According to recent statistics, vitamin D deficiency is a major problem around the world. People tend to decrease their sun exposure due to more sedentary life.

The zucchini, green beans and onion in the recipe contribute to the vitamins and minerals list with their high content of vitamin C and vitamin A. Moreover, these veggies are a good source of fibre that helps your digestive system.

Coconut milk is not only a way to flavour your soup, but it contains healthy medium-chained fatty acids (lauric acid) that are easily absorbed and utilized by the body for energy. The fats from coconut milk are known to help lower the cholesterol levels, therefore- improve the status of the cardiovascular system. It also contains manganese and copper. However, use it in moderation, because after all, coconut milk is high in calories due to its high-fat content and if you are trying to lose weight- adding more fats will not help.

But why is soup considered as a cold remedy?

This dates from the 12^th century and according to studies, every hot liquid would help with the movement in the mucous in the nose. This is due to the fact that the hot steam can cause increase in the blood flow and the mucous may flush everything out (Welch 2016). Additionally, soups hydrate the body, which is essential when it fights with the infection. Plus, there are numerous nutritional benefits from the ingredients added in the soup. Be wise and try to use as many vegetables as you can to increase the spectrum of micronutrients.

Anyways, here is the recipe, and this is only one way to make a chicken soup. You can choose other vegetables or spices to make the meal as enjoyable for you as you can.

Tip: When you serve the soup, you can squeeze one fresh garlic clove and a few lemon drops to increase the antioxidants and vitamin C content.

Ingredients:

• 450g chicken fillet
• 80g mushrooms
• 1 onion
• ½ zucchini
• 330g canned green beans
• ½ tbsp harissa paste
• Organic beef stock
• salt, red pepper, cumin to taste
• full-fat coconut milk

Directions:

1. Cut the vegetables into small pieces.
2. Boil water and add the onions, mushrooms and zucchini.
3. Let them boil for approximately 5 minutes until you cut the chicken fillet into small pieces suitable for a soup.
4. Add them to the boiling water and season with the spices, harissa paste and beef flavouring cube.
5. Let the soup boil until the vegetables and the meat are fully cooked. It usually takes around 10 minutes, but you can leave it boiling for more.
6. 4-5 minutes before the soup is cooked, add the green beans (they are already cooked so they do not need much of a cooking).
7. Serve hot with added full-fat coconut milk. I prefer around 20ml for a portion.

References:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chicken-soup-for-colds-and-flu-does-it-really-help/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5527850/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00334329