I love roast chicken on a Sunday evening, particularly because it means an excellent chicken soup on Monday. Once the meat has been used up (save some for the soup), the chicken carcass can be boiled with a carrot, onion and some peppercorns for a few hours to make a nutrient rich broth. This concoction can be chilled making it easy to remove the fat from the top and can be frozen for later use. Always use organic chicken where possible.Boiling bones, tendons and cartilage breaks minerals down into a form the body can easily absorb including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and sulphur. The extracted gelatine also nourishes and heals the digestive tract and has been found to be beneficial for a long list of diseases.
I find making soup on a Monday from home made chicken stock gives the week a wholesome start, particularly if the weekend has involved excess. I vary the ingredients but always include lots of green leafy veg which are great for detoxing and stimulating the liver, seaweeds, shitake mushrooms, lean protein and wheat free soba noodles/beancurd noodles. It’s quick and easy to make and leaves me feeling satisfied and cleansed afterwards. The below is enough for two people.
· 600 ml of chicken stock
· Clove of garlic chopped
· Tsp of chopped ginger
· Chopped fresh chilli
· 5 shitake mushrooms soaked for 30 mins in hot water and chopped. Some of the soaking water can be added to the chicken stock
· 2/3 strands of wakame seaweed soaked for 10 mins in hot water
· Shredded cooked chicken or fish
· Tbsp of Tamari sauce
· Tbsp of Mirin
· Tsp of agave nectar
· Bok choy/spinach/chinese broccoli
· 100g of buckwheat soba noodles
· Tbsp of organic shiro miso (optional) mixed with small amount of hot water
· Drizzle of organic sesame oil
· Squeeze of lime
Simmer the chicken stock with the garlic, ginger, chilli and shitake mushrooms for fifteen minutes. Then add the seaweed and the chicken. Meanwhile cook the soba noodles and then drain in cold water to stop them overcooking and divide between two bowls. Add the tamari, mirin and agave nectar and then add the vegetables. Cook for a further couple of minutes being careful not to overcook the greens and then turn off the heat. Stir in the miso and ladle the soup over the noodles. Drizzle with sesame oil and a squeeze of lime and eat with chopsticks and a spoon. Yum.
· 600 ml of chicken stock
· Clove of garlic chopped
· Tsp of chopped ginger
· Chopped fresh chilli
· 5 shitake mushrooms soaked for 30 mins in hot water and chopped. Some of the soaking water can be added to the chicken stock
· 2/3 strands of wakame seaweed soaked for 10 mins in hot water
· Shredded cooked chicken or fish
· Tbsp of Tamari sauce
· Tbsp of Mirin
· Tsp of agave nectar
· Bok choy/spinach/chinese broccoli
· 100g of buckwheat soba noodles
· Tbsp of organic shiro miso (optional) mixed with small amount of hot water
· Drizzle of organic sesame oil
· Squeeze of lime
Simmer the chicken stock with the garlic, ginger, chilli and shitake mushrooms for fifteen minutes. Then add the seaweed and the chicken. Meanwhile cook the soba noodles and then drain in cold water to stop them overcooking and divide between two bowls. Add the tamari, mirin and agave nectar and then add the vegetables. Cook for a further couple of minutes being careful not to overcook the greens and then turn off the heat. Stir in the miso and ladle the soup over the noodles. Drizzle with sesame oil and a squeeze of lime and eat with chopsticks and a spoon. Yum.
