I very rarely follow a recipe when I make soup. This one is no exception. Depending on what I have in the fridge at any given time, it makes it into the pot.

This immune boosting soup is super easy! I often roast a chicken (or two) for Sunday night dinners. As we are slicing the cooked chicken for dinner, the chicken bones/cartlige etc all go directly into a pot. Any left over chicken gets saved in the fridge and is added to the soup once the broth has been made.

I use an 8 qt Le Creuset dutch oven to make my soup - it makes a LOT of soup which I love. I pour water in the pot to cover the chicken bones/carcass and  simmer on a low heat for at least 12 hours - (let it go up to 36 hours if you have the time - it's worth it!). The longer you let is simmer - the more of an immune booster you will get - the broth will be chock full of healthy collagen which is great for our joints, bones and gut. I add about a tbsp of apple cider vinegar to the water as this helps break down the collagen. Once my broth is done, I strain it to remove all the bones etc. and roughly chop up any remaining chicken and save on the side, adding it back to the broth when I add all the vegetables. 

During cold and flu season there are a few things I always am sure to add: kale, garlic, and shiitake mushrooms. Anything else you want to add - throw it in there!

Here is a typical soup recipe for me:

8 cups chicken stock (or more - or less depending on how much liquid is left in the pot after a day or two of simmering).

1 large onion

3-4 carrots - chopped

3-4 celery stalks - chopped

1 lb shiitake mushrooms (give or take) - roughly chopped

1/3 cup minced garlic

All the leftover chicken pieces - roughly chopped

Couple handfuls of kale (around 12 oz) - stalks removed - roughly chopped

4 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tsp of fresh or dried turmeric - to taste

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the soup heartier - add some lentils Try green or puy lentils! The sky is the limit! 

This soup is super immune booster!  It is incredibly rich in vitamins and nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, iron  and phosphorus. It provides the body with natural compounds from the cartilage, and the collagen provides the body with amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. This soup will last in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.