Seasonal Homemade Chicken Soup (serves 4-6)
1 whole free-range/organic chicken
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5l filtered water
1 tbsp organic vegetable stock
1 large carrot
1 large white onion
1 large turnip
1 leek stalk
1 celery stalk
1 large sweet potato
1 small courgette
1 large handful of spinach leaves
Himalayan salt
Method:
1. Place the water, vinegar, chicken and vegetable stock into a slow cooker.
2. Leave for 24 hours on low, stirring occasionally. The longer it’s left, the more nutritious the broth becomes.
3. Add all the hard vegetables and leave for a further eight hours.
4. In the final hour, add the softer vegetables, like the courgette and spinach leaves.
5. Add salt to taste.
Add any vegetables that are in season. Change to enjoy different flavours. A can of tinned tomatoes gives this soup a gorgeous dimension. If you buy a whole chicken that includes the neck, heart and feet, add them in too. Your body will be thanking you for the extra collagen and gelatine!
Real soup, made from bones, is really good for the digestive system because it contains gelatine, which is able to stimulate and support the digestive tract. Gelatine naturally binds to water and helps food to move more easily through the digestive tract. The minerals gained from such a soup stock are extremely nutritious and in a highly absorbable form, resulting in an electrolyte solution far superior to Gatorade. Unprocessed gelatine is pure and provides important amino acids: it’s largely composed of glycine and proline. Not only are these needed for proper skin, hair and nail growth, but they are important for immune function and weight regulation. Glycine can also act as an anti-inflammatory and can help improve ease and quality of sleep.