This winter, why not branch out from a traditional recipe and try this amazing Medicated Chicken Soup?

Chinese Medicine believes that by harmonizing oneself with the seasons you can stay healthier and prevent disease.

Winter is ruled by the water element, the most nourishing and essential substance of life. This season it becomes important we turn our focus on conserving and nourishing our internal strength.

Why medicated chicken soup?

A bowl of warm and nutritious chicken soup is perfect for this cold winter season.

Some of the benefits of drinking the soup include:

Strengthening the immune system
Improving gut health and digestion
Lowering the stressors in the body in order to help speed up recovery from illness
Replenishes daily vitamins and minerals

Medicated Chicken Soup Ingredients:

Stock
A whole chicken (raw or roasted), the bony cuts give the soup more flavor

Herbs:

Ginger: Sliced ginger root is good for settling your stomach and strengthening your immune system. It’s also loaded with antioxidants, which can help you fight diseases and viruses.
Turmeric: This traditional Indian spice is not only good for warming up your stomach, it also increases the antioxidant capacity of your body and helps fight with inflammation.
Cinnamon: In recent years, modern science has started to confirm many of the potential health benefits associated with cinnamon. It is rich in antioxidants, supports blood sugar control, prevents bacteria and fungus infection.
Astragalus root or Ginseng root: These are optional but highly recommended for their healing properties. Both Astragalus and Ginseng roots are beneficial for your immune system, protect against infection, and improve your energy.
Mushrooms: Any type or a combination of mushrooms. Such as Shiitake, Reishi, Chaga, cordyceps, Lion’s mane and Turkey tails. They are well liked for their great taste and amazing health benefits. They are a rich source of fiber, protein and antioxidants which helps support gut and heart health, as well as boosts our immune system.
Dry red Dates: Dry dates add a natural sweet flavor to the soup. It is highly nutritious, research shows consuming five to seven pieces of dates for 16 weeks helps increase hemoglobin levels in people suffering from anemia.

Vegetables:
Adding some vegetables gives the soup extra vitamins and minerals. Such as onions, garlic, celery, carrots, white radish and Chinese Yam.

Seasonings:
Finish the soup with a combination of bay leaves, peppercorns, Himalayan salt, rosemary (or thyme), parsley.

How to make Medicated Chicken Soup:

Step 1: Boil the chicken. Place the whole chicken in a large pot and fill it ¾ of the way with water. Bring it up to a boil. If you use raw chicken, pour the water away and replace with clean boiling water. If you start with roast chicken just move on to the next step.

Step 2: Add flavor to the stock. Choose a few or all the herbs recommended above and add them to the pot. Let the stock simmer for about 2 or 3 hours to bring out the herbaceous, healing, and flavorful properties of the homemade chicken stock.

Step 3: De-bone the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the bones, skin, and any other unwanted parts. Just keep the meat separately.

Step 4: Strain the stock. Pass the stock through a sieve to collect all remaining solids.

Step 5: Finish the chicken soup. Transfer the clean broth back to the pot and add in the clean chicken meat and vegetables. Bring it up to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 6: Flavor the soup with seasonings then enjoy!

We hope you give this Medicated Chicken Soup recipe a try, and let us know what you think!

Qin Zhu, L.Ac. worked as an occupational therapist for 17 years before deciding to change her career path. She joined Lokahi in November, 2021 as an acupuncturist. Qin specializes in both fertility and pain management.

Qin Zhu, L.Ac.
San Jose Acupuncturist
408.279.9001
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