Anti-Inflammatory Ginger Chicken Soup

Anti-Inflammatory Ginger Chicken Soup is that soup that sets you right -- perhaps after indulgent eating, if you've been sick or have aches and pains: Make a pot of this nourishing, warming, (even refreshing!), soup, and feel better! Or, enjoy to just maintain good health!

Course DInner, Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine American, French

Keyword aip, ancestral, anti-inflammatory, chicken, ginger, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, soup, whole30

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 473kcal

Author Megan

Cost 25.00

Equipment

pot for cooking chicken and broth or Instant Pot
pot for cooking pasta or rice in
pot for sautéing and making whole batch of soup in (big pot that's low or big pan that's deep)

Ingredients

6 cups water
3 to 4.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless -- But you can also use bone-in chicken if you don't mind taking it off the bone after it's cooked.
1 Tablespoon + 3 teaspoons, divided sea salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
5 carrots sliced thinly. Use white carrots for VAD.
4 zucchini peeled, quartered and sliced
2 teaspoons dill dried, optional (I did not use this dried herb THIS time when photographing the recipe, but it's another great flavor profile that's conveniently added if you end up wanting to make a variation of the recipe without fresh herbs or because you love dill.)
several sprigs fresh rosemary and/or fresh mint: chop the rosemary, and slice the mint (Additionally, and optional: I also leave both herbs whole and allow them to steep and add beauty to the big pot.)
1/4 cup fresh ginger grated or minced
8 oz Paleo or Gluten-free pasta (or for veggie carb of choice, adjust amount): Paleo pasta like this, or Gluten-free pasta, or rice, or another cooked carb you know you do well with, preferably from this list of Anti-Inflammatory foods
2 to 3 whole lemons cut in half to juice

Instructions

For stove top: Place chicken in pot with lid. Add water and 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons sea salt. (Try to have the water cover the meat. If not, move the meat around so it's lower in the pot.) Cover pot with lid, and turn heat to high. As soon the water begins to simmer, reduce heat to whatever temperature maintains a simmer, medium-low or low. Simmer 15 minutes, then turn off heat.
Instant Pot: Place chicken in pot with lid. Add water and 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons sea salt. (Make sure the water covers the meat.) Seal lid, and close steam valve. Depending on which model IP you have: press "Manual" or "High Pressure" button, and adjust time to 4 minutes (yes, only FOUR minutes), or "Poultry" button, in which case the time panel will display 15 minutes; so reduce it manually with the down button. When timer goes off, do a QPR, or allow pressure to release naturally, whichever you prefer.
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove chicken to a large cutting board. I prefer to cut each thigh horizontally to end up with chunks, or you can roughly shred the chicken with 2 forks if you prefer.

WHILE CHICKEN COOKS

ONE: Choose and cook your carb: This can be cassava pasta for Paleo (I recommend the Orzo shape for this soup, but any shape you like is great.) For Gluten-free, it can be rice or Jovial's rice pasta. You may also choose another carb with which you know your body does well.
TWO: In large deep pan or low pot (that will end up holding the entire soup recipe, so it needs to be big), add olive oil, carrots and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Sauté over medium heat about 10 minutes, until browned and mostly cooked. Add zucchini (and optional dried dill, if using) and final 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook additional 10 minutes, allowing zucchini to break down a bit; lower heat if needed.
Add broth, chicken, carb of choice, fresh rosemary and/or fresh mint and fresh ginger. Heat to very hot, and stir gently. For those who can have it: Add the fresh juice of just one lemon, then taste. If the soup needs to sit a bit over low heat before being served, wait to add any more lemon juice until just before serving (because the flavor becomes less strong with time). To taste, you may add more lemon juice, or just the 1 lemon, when ready to serve.
Stir one final time, and serve.

Nutrition