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This Chinese-inspired Chicken, Ginger and Goji Berry Soup is delicious, rich, easy on the stomach, and packed with comforting nutrition for healing, recovery, and immune support. You will want to add this nourishing soup to your recovery regimen for sickness, or injury. Every ingredient in this soup brings with it potent health benefits. Aside from the health benefits of this soup, it is just plain delicious.
Healing Ingredients:
Ginger– Ginger has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal plant and is known to be effective at treating nausea and morning sickness, upset stomach, pain relief, and inflammation. Gingerol is cardiotonic.
Garlic– Rich in vitamin B and C, minerals, and allicin. Garlic has known antibiotic, antimicrobial, cholesterol-lowering, and cancer-fighting properties.
Goji Berries-A superfood high in Iron, Vitamin A and C. Goji berries have potent immune-boosting properties. These berries are also used medicinally for eye, liver, kidney, and lung health.
Coconut Aminos– This umami-rich seasoning contains less salt than soy sauce and 17 amino acids which are important in immunity, building muscle, and various other bodily functions. Mostly, liquid aminos are a super delicious seasoning that balances salty and sweet.
Salt – Replenishes electrolytes and aids in hydration
Gelatin – Full of amino acids glycine and proline which support skin, hair, nails, joints, and the immune system. Gelatin is what makes bone broth so nutritious. I use unflavored powdered gelatin to make “Cheater bone broths” out of quick or store-bought broths. Mixed with dry ingredients like salt and spices, gelatin can be added directly to simmering liquids without having to “bloom” first.
Chicken and chicken fat– Contains protein, niacin, selenium, and iron. Chicken (and duck) fat are relatively low in saturated fat and high in linoleic acid an Omega-6, and Vitamin E. If you are the type of home cook that has some duck fat in the fridge, you could spoon a tablespoon into the soup for added nutrition and yumminess.
Rice– Provides easy to digest carbohydrates, protein, iron, B vitamins, and magnesium. White rice replenishes glycogen stores in your muscles after physical exertion from an intense workout… or labor. (The Reason Athletes Eat White Rice Instead of Brown).
Carrots and Squash – These vegetables are high in fiber, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
I got the idea for this soup from a recipe in the book “The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother” by Heng Ou. This book is filled with traditional Chinese wisdom and simple and beautiful recipes for healing and caring for new mothers. I highly recommend this book for every new mom. It helped me rethink caring for myself after the birth of my second child. Something I completely neglected with my first child- returning to work in the commercial kitchen a mere 2 weeks postpartum after losing 30% of my blood during childbirth.
Though this book focuses on postpartum care, the recipes are all about healing, boosting the immune system, and recovery after extreme physical exertion and are just as useful for those recovering from illness, a sports injury, or a hangover.
Heng Ou has a recipe in this book “Chicken, Red Date, and Ginger Soup” recipe made with goji berries, and jujubes (Chinese Red Dates). I thought the idea of adding dried fruit to chicken soup sounded really interesting. When I got around to making it though, I didn’t have Jujubes, so I made some substitutions. While I was making the soup I decided to add some things to make the broth really rich (coconut aminos, gelatin) and the soup more filling (rice and squash). The resulting recipe is an incredibly satisfying, healthful, healing, immune-boosting soup that can be enjoyed as a full meal whether you are feeling depleted, under-the-weather, or… perfectly well.
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Chicken, Ginger and Goji Berry Soup with Rice for Healing and Recovery
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 3 qts 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This incredibly satisfying soup is packed with potent healing ingredients like ginger, goji berries, and garlic. You will want to add this to your get-well regimen for sickness and injury.
Ingredients
1 4-5 lb chicken
water, about 8-12 cups
4 inch piece of ginger, halved crossways and lengthways
5 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium onion, halved
salt
coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 T unflavored gelatin powder (optional)
1–2 T salt
6 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 delicata squash (or small butternut squash), peeled and diced
1/2 cup dried goji berries
2 cups white rice, cooked
Instructions
Bring chicken and water up to a boil with the onion, garlic, and ginger. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 1-2 hours or until the chicken comes off the bone easily.
Remove the chicken from the pot. Using a sieve or a spider, fish out the garlic, ginger, and onion (or you could pour the broth through a sieve).
Mix the gelatin with salt, add this mixture to the broth. Add about 2 tablespoons of the Coconut Aminos. Taste and add more salt and Aminos until you reach the desired savoriness.
Add the carrots, squash and goji berries and simmer for 20-30 or until all the vegetables are tender.
While the vegetables cook, remove the chicken from the bones. Shred the meat.
Add the chicken to the soup and remove from the heat.
Serve with cooked white rice.
Equipment
| Grassfed Unflavored Gelatin Powder, 1.5 lbs |
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| The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother |
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What a flavorful and delicious soup! This one really is for healing with the ginger and goji berries. YUM!
I’ve never thought to use Goji berries in a soup recipe, but paired with the ginger I bet this soup is amazing!
My mom used to make the same soup! This soup looks so delicious and healthy! Yum!
This looks delicious. I think it’s all the more important to fill out bodies with good foods, and this recipe is certainly one of them. Thank you for sharing!
Such a delghtful soup with so much flavor. It was a perfect meal for a snowy day here in Utah.
I would totally enjoy this wholesome and tasty soup because I love ginger! Perfect for winter to fight off all that nasty bug! Thanks for sharing.
This chicken soup was so comforting and flavorful! I should have listened to my inner voice and doubled the recipe.
I love all of the healing and wholesome ingredients in this soup!! It’s super comforting and turned out to be the perfect meal for the cold weather we have been having lately!
Delicious soup and yummy combinations. Looks like a meal in itself. Best option for a lovely Dinner.
Totally loading my family up on this to help boost their immune system!
This is my favorite chicken soup now. I have made it for a sick friend as well. This week I am making it when some of our children and grandchildren come to visit. A perfect choice for this cold wet weather, don’t you think?
Hi Connie,
So glad you are loving this recipe. It has become one of my all-time soup favorites.