Dr Simoné Laubscher PhD shares her immune-boosting chicken soup recipe.

I love to incorporate soups all year round and especially at this time of year when I regularly cook my granny’s immune-boosting soup! It’s great for evening meals in particular, as the body particularly wants warm foods in the evening to support your digestive system.

Have you heard the saying ‘nothing after raw after 4’? This is because after a long day of digesting, by the time it gets to the evening your digestive system needs a little help. Having warm meals supports your digestion, thus boosting the absorption of vitamins, phytos (carotenoids, flavonoids, and isoflavones) and nutrients and therefore support your immune system.

It’s okay to have salads at night, but I don’t suggest ending the day with a big salad as much as I do a side salad with a warm meal.

Why chicken soup is good for the body (and soul)

All soup is beneficial, but a bone broth or chicken soup is particularly healing as chicken is high in the amino acid, cysteine, that is released when the soup is made. This amino acid thins mucus in the lungs, aiding in the healing process, clearing airways, hydrating and easing nasal congestion. So it’s great to heal and protect you from any virus. Then add in all the veggies, packed with vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients and you have yourself a healing super meal right there!

I also make sure my foundational supplements are in place, including the supplements that I formulated for WelleCo; The Super Elixir, Nourishing Protein and Sleep Welle Calming Tea. Health is the new wealth after all and now more than ever we need to be vigilant at supporting our systems.

My granny’s immune-boosting soup

Here is the recipe for my favourite soup. To make it vegetarian, add lentils instead of the organic chicken. You can either use a slow cooker or make a traditional soup, but either way, they help me stay on track and maintain a healthy immune system. I’ve been using this recipe for years and it was handed down to me by my granny who recently turned 95, so it obviously works.

INGREDIENTS

2 onions

6 cloves garlic or

1 thumb ginger

3 stalks of celery or 

3 carrots

1 head of broccoli

2 courgettes (zucchini)

1 cup of peas

Whole organic chicken

2 cups of lentils

herbs and seasonings

Making my granny’s soup

This flavourful soup starts with sautéing onion, garlic and ginger with avocado or light olive oil (for cooking) oil until tender, fragrant and golden. I then mix up three spoons of vegan bullion stock into boiling water and fill up a stainless-steel soup pot, or my ceramic slow-cooker, with boiling water.

Next, I add my lentils or organic whole chicken. I leave this to simmer for 1 hour and then add in all my veggies. I add my veggies at the start if I’m pushed for time.

Simmer the ingredients for at least 4 hours. If it’s the chicken version, I tear off all the chicken and remove the bones. I puree the soup with my hand blender if you have fussy eaters. If not, serve as is and garnish with pumpkin seeds, garlic, ginger, sauerkraut and cayenne pepper – delicious!

The information in this article is not intended to be taken as medical advice. We recommend consulting your primary healthcare professional before making any changes to your supplementary routine.