Chicken soup for convalescence

From ancient time people of many nations believed that chicken soup will help a person recovering from sickness. Even today many take chicken soup to combat common cold and influenza. We hear often patients say that they had never been well since their last illness such as bad flu, accident, operation, tummy bug and many other kinds of infection. This is because we do not recuperate our health after sickness. We take the pill and then we go off to work. Getting better takes time and appropriate food that will help you to really get better. Chicken soup is one of such foods. The ingredients such as garlic, pepper, ginger, cumin seeds etc all help to make the chicken soup a real convalescent food. Protein from the chicken and the antioxidants from the vegetables help the body in making necessary antibodies to fight the infection. It is easily digestible and is absorbed in the system quickly.

Chicken soup

Today I am going to make a simple chicken soup using the legs of chicken for convalescence. We can make with a spring chicken.The recipe below is with some pieces with bones. Both soup contain the same ingredients and done in two different days.

                                       Recipe summary
                                                  For
                              Chicken soup for convalescence 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

1. Cut chicken into large chunks. Do not remove the bones.

Ingredients

2. In a large saucepan add 1 Onion chopped coarsely, 100 grams carrots sliced into ½ inch cubes, 100 grams French beans sliced thin, cumin seeds, 3 cloves garlic sliced thin, 10 grams ginger shredded,
½ spoon pepper powder, 3 cups water, 1 cup vegetable broth and chicken pieces and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring the items to the boil.
Lower the heat to low and cover the pan.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Take off the heat.
Let the soup cool for 10 minutes.



3.Take the chicken pieces and pull out the flesh from the bones.
Discard the bones and add the meat back into the stock pot. If you think there may be tiny pieces of  bones left in the soup you can always strain the soup and boil again with only the flesh. 
Bring to the boil. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

All items added for the soup
& ready to cook

Take the soup off the heat and ladle into a soup bowl and serve while hot. If the patient cannot take solid, strain the soup and serve. Today I used only the leg which can be taken without pulling and boiling again.


Note:
The steam from the hot soup will relieve congestion in the nose and cold and flu. If the person is already sick make the soup taste a little stronger by adding more garlic, ginger and pepper. You can also use leeks to give a better flavor. You can also serve rice or bread along with the soup.

Chicken soup for convalescence

You can also add cooked rice to the soup and cook it till the rice becomes porridge. The rice will give additional strength to the patient and over cooking the rice will enable it to be digested easily.




Chicken soup for convalescence is ready.
                                  

                       Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

                    

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

All items added for the soup and ready to cook

Main
1 young chicken (1 month old) (150 grams)
100 grams French beans sliced thin

100 grams carrots sliced into ½ inch cubes
Others

1 Onion chopped coarsely

½ teaspoon salt

½ spoon pepper powder

3 cloves garlic sliced thin

10 grams ginger shredded

1 cup vegetable broth

3 cups water
Spices
1 teaspoon cumin seed
½ spoon pepper powder

Chicken

Preparation

Cut chicken into large chunks. Do not remove the bones.

Method

In a large saucepan add onion, carrot, beans, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, water, vegetable broth and chicken pieces and salt. Bring the items to the boil.

Lower the heat to low and cover the pan.

Simmer for 30 minutes.

Take off the heat.

Let the soup cool for 10 minutes.

Take the chicken pieces and pull out the flesh from the bones.

Discard the bones and add the meat back into the stock pot. If you think there may be tiny pieces of  bones left in the soup you can always strain the soup and boil again with only the flesh. 

Bring to the boil. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Take the soup off the heat and ladle into a soup bowl and serve while hot. If the patient cannot take solid, strain the soup and serve. Today I used only the leg which can be taken without pulling and boiling again.

Note:

The steam from the hot soup will relieve congestion in the nose and cold and flu. If the person is already sick make the soup taste a little stronger by adding more garlic, ginger and pepper. You can also use leeks to give a better flavor. You can also serve rice or bread along with the soup.

We are not frying the onions as usual because we want to avoid oil during the convalescent period.

Oil may upset the stomach of the patient. We also chose a month old chick because it will not have any fat.

You can also add cooked rice to the soup and cook it till the rice becomes porridge. The rice will give additional strength to the patient and over cooking the rice will enable it to be digested easily.

You can also make the soup with parts of chicken with the same ingredients given above.This will have bones in it  and must be eaten with care.

Ingredients for Chicken soup for convalescence 

Soup being boiled

 Chicken soup for convalescence