Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup

An Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup recipe to keep your body feeling strong and energized year round! This turmeric chicken soup includes carrots, parsnips, kale, bone broth, and more for an immunity-boosting powerhouse meal.

Is there anything more gratifying than a big hearty bowl of chicken soup?

This may be an unpopular confession, but I love soup no matter the time of year, but particularly during the colder months.

The basic premise of this recipe is we’re taking a classic chicken soup and adding anti-inflammatory health benefits of turmeric, ginger, parsley, and kale for a nice antioxidant punch, giving you even more nutrients and flavor.

I engineered the recipe specifically to be phenomenal for overall health and to be particularly helpful with reducing cold symptoms like sore throats and congestion. 

So make a big batch of this immune boosting chicken soup to boost immune function, lower the intensity of colds, or just enjoy a hearty, filling meal.

This amazing healthy chicken soup recipe is quick and easy to make and is paleo, keto, AIP, and whole30. I have also included a Low-FODMAP option for my friends with digestive issues.

If you’re like me and you enjoy a big bowl of chicken soup during those chilly fall and winter evenings, you’re going to go BONKERS over this cozy winter soup.

How Is This Recipe “Immunity Boosting?”:

Many of the ingredients in this homemade chicken soup are packed with antioxidants, which help clear out free radicals and lower inflammation. Specifically, ginger, turmeric, and kale are known to help maintain a strong immune system.

Not only is the soup designed to not evoke an inflammatory response in the immune system, but it is also designed to heal. The amino acids in chicken meat contain the building blocks that help heal soft tissues, muscles, and the gut lining.

This is a powerfully healing recipe for both preventing and getting rid of colds. Since cold and flu season is upon us, you’ll want to keep this one in your arsenal due to its anti-inflammatory properties. 

Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for this turmeric chicken soup recipe.

Ingredients for Anti-Inflammatory Soup:

Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the vegetables and brown the chicken, we need a quality cooking oil. I prefer avocado oil over olive oil because it has a higher smoke point, so it doesn’t burn as easily at high temperatures.

Fresh Vegetables: Yellow onion, carrots, parsnip, celery, fresh cloves of garlic, and kale are the fresh veggies I like adding to this soup.

You can get creative and add your favorite vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini, and bell pepper. Any kind of dark leafy greens like spinach or chard work as a replacement for kale in this easy chicken soup recipe.

Root vegetables are also a great option in this immunity soup!

Chicken Breasts: Adding a boost of lean protein and healing amino acids. I like using lean chicken like boneless skinless chicken breast. Boneless chicken thighs work too, as do bone-in chicken peices.

Dried Herbs: Dried parsley, ground turmeric, ground ginger, sea salt and black pepper. Parsley, ginger, and turmeric are all known for their anti-inflammatory properties. You can use fresh ginger or fresh turmeric if you’d prefer.

Most grocery stores carry the fresh version but some parts of the year they are more difficult to find. If you have fresh herbs on hand, feel free to add them in.

Chicken Broth: Used as the broth portion of the recipe, I like using chicken bone broth. Vegetable stock works here too.

Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: I add full-fat canned coconut milk to make the soup a little creamy and smooth out the sting of the turmeric and ginger so you’re left with a beautifully flavored, oh-so satisfying bowl of yummy superfood.

Salt and Pepper: Add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste. Don’t skip the black pepper, as it will help you absorb the benefits of the turmeric root!

The added pizzazz of turmeric is what makes this chicken soup recipe so glorious. In case you’re new to turmeric, I’ll give you a brief run-down about why it’s so cool.

Health Benefits of Turmeric:

• Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory. It is great for those with autoimmunity, arthritis, or those looking to heal from something…anything!
• Packed with antioxidants, which helps eliminate free-radicals, thereby preventing disease, slowing down the aging process, and fighting cancer.
• Boosts levels of your brain hormone, BDNF, which can help reverse and prevent brain-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s and depression.
• May lower your risk of heart disease by improving the function of the endothelium (the lining of your blood vessels).

Due it its anti-inflammatory properties and increased migration of white blood cells, turmeric has been said to decrease the amount of time viruses live in our system.

I will say, you can absolutely over-do it on turmeric, so be careful not to get too excited and add too much.

I find 1 teaspoon is the perfect amount for this soup, where you get a hint of the flavor but it is far from overpowering. If you enjoy the flavor of turmeric, feel free to increase the amount. If you’re using fresh turmeric, bump this up to 2 teaspoons.

One of the best parts about chicken soup is it is incredibly easy to make, and doesn’t require very much hands-on time.

Recent research suggests black pepper helps with the absorption of turmeric, so be sure to add the black pepper to the soup!

Let’s make this detox immune-boosting chicken soup!

How to Make Turmeric Chicken Soup

Start by sautéing the vegetables in a large stock pot (I use my Dutch Oven). Add the chicken and allow it to brown for a few minutes.

Add the spices and stir well. You’ll want to continue sautéing everything until you can smell the turmeric.

Pour in the bone broth and coconut milk, cover, and cook at a simmer for at least 15 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

Once the soup is nice and flavorful, add the chopped kale leaves and stir them in. Continue cooking until they are nice and wilted. This will only take a few minutes.

Serve it up in big bowls, and enjoy!

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe Adaptations:

• To make this recipe Low-FODMAP, omit the onion and garlic. Don’t worry, the soup will still be plenty flavorful! You can add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice or lemon zest to boost the flavor if you’d like.
• If you want to infuse this soup with even more vegetation, consider adding broccoli or cauliflower florets, or even bok choy.
• Add ⅓ cup white rice, brown rice, or quinoa for some grain action. If you go this route, you may want to add more broth because the grains absorb some of the liquid.
• Add 1 Yukon gold potato or a small sweet potato for some veggie starch action.
• I like using bone broth for maximum nutrients, but you can use regular chicken stock or even vegetable broth.
• Use bone-in chicken or even a whole chicken for added health benefits from the collagen.
• If you have bay leaves on hand, add one bay leaf.

Fight pesky colds, or stay on top of your overall health with the anti-inflammatory ingredients in this healthy soup recipe!

If you love healthy, filling soup recipes, also try out these reader favorites.

Explore More Healthy Soup Recipes:

• Hearty Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables
• Nightshade-Free AIP Chili
• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Thai Chicken Soup
• White Chicken Chili
• Vegetable Soup Recipe

I hope you enjoy this colorful display of belly-warming comfort food!

Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup

4.51 from 217 votes

A nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory chicken soup recipe, great for a boost to the immune system!

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Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 to 4 Servings

Equipment

• large pot such as a Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion finely diced*
• 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 large parsnip peeled and chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced*
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
• 3 cups chicken bone broth
• 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 small head kale chopped**

Instructions

• Heat the avocado oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until transluscent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, and garlic and continue sauteeing, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but still al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped chicken and cook just long enough to brown the meat, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes (ideally one hour). Taste soup for flavor and add more sea salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*Omit onion and garlic to make Low-FODMAP and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or lime juice.

**If you have trouble digesting kale, replace it with 4 cups of (loosely packed) baby spinach.

If you have access to fresh turmeric and fresh ginger, feel free to use 2 teaspoons of peeled and grated fresh turmeric and fresh ginger, or to your personal taste.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4 · Calories: 278kcal · Carbohydrates: 10g · Protein: 27g · Fat: 14g · Sugar: 4g

Author: Julia

Course: Soups, Stews, & Chilies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, dinner recipe, keto, low-carb, paleo, soup, turmeric, whole30

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