Immune-Boosting Chicken Quinoa Soup

This isn’t your average chicken soup. It has all the comforting flavours, but it’s kicked up a notch with the addition of some immune-boosting (and delicious) ingredients.

Immune-Boosting Chicken Quinoa Soup | Thrive Nutrition Coaching

Is it just me, or has this been THE WORST winter for sicknesses? It seems like everyone has had serial colds and flus this year.

I’ve been making this soup on repeat, and it is soooo comforting. My kids have started asking for it whenever they’re under the weather, and one of the things I love most about it is how little effort it takes! Perfect for when mama isn’t feeling so hot either. 

You can make everything from scratch (make your own stock, chop your own kale…) or you can shortcut this one without sacrificing nutrients. And boom! You’ll have dinner on the table in no time. Leftovers keep well, and I love being able to pull this soup out of the freezer to reheat and serve on busy weeknights.

A few immune-boosting benefits:

• cayenne: anti-inflmmatory and sinus-cleansing

• quinoa: low glycemic index to minimize inflammation

• kale: high in disease-fighting antioxidants

• chicken: source of zinc to reduce cold severity and duration

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. Stay healthy!

Immune-Boosting Chicken Quinoa Soup

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Melinda Edmonds | Registered Dietitian

prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

8 cups sodium-free vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
3/4 cup quinoa
2 onions, diced
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
¾ tsp sage
1 bay leaf
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
3 cups kale slaw (or 3 cups torn kale leaves)
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the stock and quinoa to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, sage and bay leaf. Continue to simmer for another 20 minutes.
3. Once vegetables are tender, add chicken and kale slaw.
4. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt (I use about ¾ tsp), pepper and cayenne to taste.
5. Serve and garnish with crushed chilies, if desired.

So long, cold!