Flu Fighter Chicken Noodle Soup (+ a secret-ingredient!)
This soothing chicken noodle soup is more than just the ultimate comfort food–it contains a secret ingredient that puts it over the top in taste as well as in immune-boosting power!
Wintertime with kids = never-ending runny noses. And as the momma of those sick kids, I want to do everything in my power to help them feel better fast! The past month has been especially rough around our house in the “cold & cough” department, so last week I broke out the big guns…
Chicken noodle soup.
Yep, this long-time classic is the ultimate comfort food. But this particular chicken soup is more than a placebo to soothe my kiddos’ sniffles. It’s got real sickness-fighting power.
And it’s got a secret ingredient!
Now, I’m no newbie to chicken soup. I have been making soup with my great grandmother’s homemade noodle recipe for years, and these simple chicken and dumplings have been a staple in my cooking repertoire since college.
But this recipe introduced me to a whole new world of chicken soup power!
Does chicken soup really help when you’re sick?
Chicken soup has been a popular home remedy for colds and illnesses for many years. While it may not be a cure, there is some evidence to suggest that chicken soup can help alleviate certain symptoms and provide comfort.
The warm broth can help soothe a sore throat, and the vegetables and chicken in the soup can provide valuable nutrients that support overall health. Additionally, the steam from hot soup can help relieve nasal congestion.
This supercharged version, however, goes the extra mile by incorporating a few extra ingredients to combat whatever pesky bug has you feeling under the weather.
To boost immune health and fight inflammation, we’ve added garlic and cayenne pepper. And now, for the super-secret ingredient that elevates this soup to another level – drumroll, please – LEMON.
Why lemon, you ask?
It’s not just for its immune-boosting vitamin C; it also aids digestion and facilitates the absorption of minerals like iron. Plus, it imparts a delightful brightness of flavor to the soup.
And now, the most critical question…
Did the kids like it?
(Because we all know there’s no point in making a super-charged healthy meal if the children completely refuse to touch it.)
My kids are kind of lukewarm on soup in general, and–to be honest–I wasn’t sure how it would go over. So I was genuinely SHOCKED by their overwhelming praise of the meal. Everyone ate at least one full serving without any complaint (amazing!) and I kept hearing phrases like, “Mom, this is SO, SO good. You have to make it again.”
Done and done, son. (Cue the internal dance of joy in this momma’s heart that her hard work to make a home-cooked meal was actually successful!)
My oldest son even declared this his favorite soup ever, and his second favorite food of all time (his first fave is these BBQ Sloppy Joes)! WHAT? I had no idea I was creating such a legendary meal with this humble soup. But apparently, it’s going into the tried-and-true pile of recipes to be repeated regularly.
So, if you’ve got little sickies at home like me, or if you just want a super healthy, warm, simple dinner for a cold winter night, read on for the full details!
Flu-fighter Chicken Noodle Soup
This soothing chicken noodle soup is more than just the ultimate comfort food–it contains a secret ingredient that puts it over the top in taste as well as in immune-boosting power!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces (or pre-cooked chicken, like leftover rotisserie chicken)
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 32 ounces of chicken broth (or chicken bone broth)
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked pasta
- 1 lemon, juice
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Add onion and saute 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add uncooked chicken and spices. Cook 3-5 minutes, until chicken is mostly cooked.
- Add carrots and celery. Saute for another 2-3 minutes. If you’re using precooked chicken, add it now.
- Add chicken broth and water. Increase heat to high, and bring soup to a boil. Add pasta.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are soft and pasta is al dente.
- Squeeze juice from one lemon into the pot (be careful to strain out seeds), and stir. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve!
Notes
You can use any kind of small-ish pasta in this soup, or make a batch of these fabulous homemade noodles (my great-grandmother's recipe).
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Enjoy!
Source: Inspired by a recipe from Baker By Nature. I adjusted seasonings and cooking method, but I totally credit her with the brilliant secret ingredient!
Looks yummy without chicken too, will try it and let you know x
This soup looks super good! I love noodles
I actually put cayenne pepper on almost everything but I never considered its health benefits. I also love the lemon in this soup!
I was looking for a good recipe like this for chicken noodle soup a few weeks ago – can’t wait to try this out! ?
Hope you enjoy it!
This looks so good! I love soup on cold days and we still have a few of those left!
This time of year is tricky that way, right? The weather swings between grilling days and soup days in the blink of an eye. 🙂