Soups can be the warm medicine your body needs when you are feeling under the weather. By adding ingredients like ginger, garlic, cinnamon and green onion you can create your own herbal food formula. Here is my own medicinal soup enjoy!
Healing TCM Soup
In Chinese Medicine chicken is warming and sweet, it acts as an energy tonic and improves digestion. Scallion is used for promoting sweating, calming the nerves and expelling sputum. Fresh ginger is warm and aromatic which makes it perfect for fighting off colds and body aches. In traditional Chinese medicine, galangal is used to support healthy digestion. Cucumber has a cooling and thermal nature it cleanses the blood, detoxifies, and is a digestive aid. Carrot stimulates the elimination of wastes, strengthens the lungs and is rich in vitamin A. Celery is cooling and improves digestion, purifies the blood and promotes sweating. Cilantro is used as a powerful natural cleansing agent removing toxins from the body.
Ingredients
Broth:
1 whole chicken 4-5 lbs. quartered & skin removed OR 3 Big portobello mushrooms chopped in 1 inch pieces
1 gallon filtered water
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 stalks celery chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 large cucumber diced
2-3 inches fresh ginger cut in half
1-2 inches fresh galangal cut in half
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
Soup:
4 celery stalks
4-5 shitake mushrooms roughly chopped
3 carrots chopped
1 bunch scallions
Sea salt and pepper
1 bunch cilantro chopped
Preparation
For the broth add all ingredients in a large stockpot, bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 ½ to 2 hours on low heat.
Once broth is cooked pour through a large colander into large bowl or pot to strain out the chicken and vegetables. Pour the broth back into soup pot and discard the vegetables. Let the chicken cool. Bring the broth back to a simmer and add all of the soup ingredients except the green onion and cilantro. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. While soup is cooking pull all of the meat from the chicken and cut into small pieces. Add the chicken back to the soup.
When ready to eat add scallions last 5 minutes of cooking. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and add salt and pepper to taste.
