Flu-Fighting Chicken Noodle Soup

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There’s nothing more soothing when you are sick than having a nice hot bowl of chicken noodle soup. Not only does it soothe a sore throat, but it warms the belly and provides a relaxing sensation. Chicken noodle soup is extremely versatile as well, which makes it so easy to customize to your family’s preferences. In our home, sometimes we opt for a simple chicken noodle soup while other times I like to add in a whole variety of vegetables. However, when the fall and winter seasons hit, I tend to make sure that my chicken noodle soup is packed with tons of flu-fighting backup! Unfortunately, my children (and husband) are picky when it comes to what vegetables they eat. So to make sure everyone gets the nutrients they need, my flu-fighting chicken noodle soup takes an extra, but simple, step!

I begin by filling a large stock pot 3/4 of the way full with water. I largely chop the beet, ginger root, turmeric root, and 1/2 an onion (all things that my little people will not eat) and I toss them into the pot of water. I also add 2 Tablespoons of salt and 1 heaping Tablespoon of chicken base.

*I love this roasted chicken base, Better than Bouillon, found in the soup aisle at the grocery store. It goes in every soup I make.

I love ginger! Not only does it have a fresh, aromatic scent but it also helps calm nausea.

I next break out my deep skillet and use my Ninja Food Chopper to finely chop the other 1/2 of the onion. Saute it in butter for 3 minutes and follow by immediately adding in the chicken. Cover with water and add salt, pepper, and 1 more Tablespoon of the “Better Than Bouillon” chicken base.

These are both covered and left to simmer for an hour. In the meantime, I prepare all of the other vegetables & measure out the noodles to make the remaining steps even easier.

Ok, so an hour has passed…

You can now scoop out all of those root veggies and onion pieces. DIscard, as these were only used to make an earthy, nutrient filled broth. In the skillet, turn off the stove, remove the chicken and cut into pieces. I usually just slice it, but when my boys were younger I made the piece bite-sized for safety and ease.

Make sure to pour the broth that the chicken cooked in into the stock you made in the large pot.

Now you can add all of your chopped vegetables and the sliced chicken back into the large stock pot, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. However, I always check my potatoes before turning the stove off because depending on the size they are cut into, they may need a little more time.

When the potatoes are soft and you taste the broth to ensure the flavor is to your liking, it is time to turn off the stove. It is then that I add the egg noodles. Once again I cover the soup. However, they cook so quickly that allowing them 10 minutes in the heat accumulated in the soup is all that they need.

Then I chop and add about 10-12 garlic cloves at the very end. I know what you may be thinking- Do I really need to use that much garlic?

 Absolutely! Garlic is so good for fighting colds that I load up on garlic in everything I can. By finely chopping it and adding it to soup at the end, the amazing health benefits that garlic has are not destroyed by cooking. The more raw the garlic is when eaten- the better!

After this, all you have to do is pour, serve with a side of lime, and enjoy! I promise that you will not only enjoy this soup (and all of that hidden nutrition, but your body will thank you!