Chicken Soup with a Twist…of Lemon!

I have been making this soup for some time now and it is one of those comforting recipes that my husband and I never seem to tire of.  I found the initial recipe for kale chicken soup on Pinterest and have revised it to the point that it is an almost entirely different recipe than what I started with.  I was delighted to recently discover that it is Whole 30 compliant!  It is a delicious twist on chicken soup and is loaded with ingredients to assist with detoxification, boost your immune system and keep you feeling warm, healthy and wholesome.

Coconut milk is considered by many experts to be a “miracle liquid”.  There are numerous benefits to incorporating coconut milk in your diet.  I recommend using full-fat coconut milk, as it contains all of its natural fatty acids, while “light” coconut milks are strained to remove some of the fat, reducing the amount of beneficial fats which assist in lowering inflammation, providing electrolytes, preventing fatigue, stabilizing blood sugar, aiding the immune system and fighting disease.  To learn more about the nutritional facts & benefits of coconut milk, read here.

At this point we have all heard the countless virtues of everyone’s favorite “superfood” – Kale – an anti-inflammatory vegetable that is filled with powerful anti-oxidants.  I am a spinach girl myself, but kale works well with this recipe, as it holds up really well to the extended cooking time.  To learn more about the nutritional facts & benefits of kale, read here.

Lemons are acidic to begin with, which gives this soup it’s smooth yet tangy “punch”, but they are alkaline-forming on body fluids, helping to restore balance to the body’s pH.  Lemons are also rich in Vitamin C, which helps to work against infections like the flu and colds, and vitamin c also helps to neutralize free radicals linked to aging and most types of disease.

Bone Broth is a staple in our household.  Once I realized I could throw the remnants (carcass) from cooking a whole chicken into the crockpot to simmer while I went on with my life, I was hooked.  I love that a) I feel thrifty because I am utilizing every last bit of the organic free-range chicken that I buy, 2) I never run out of bone broth because there is always a mason jar or two in the freezer, and 3) bone broth is not only an ingredient, it can also stand alone as a health supplement!  Bone broth aids in healing a leaky gut and regulating digestion, muscle repair and growth, and reducing arthritis, inflammation and joint pain.  If you’re thinking of making your own bone broth, which I highly recommend, the animals need to be as healthy as possible to impart the maximum health benefit.  Consider your source.  To learn more about the nutritional facts & benefits of bone broth, click here.

Sea Salt contains beneficial minerals which are present in a form that is easily utilized and absorbed by the human body.  Table salt, on the other hand, is mined from salt deposits and then processed to give it a fine texture so it’s easier to mix and use in recipes.  Processing strips table salt of any minerals it may have contained, and additives are also usually added to prevent clumping or caking.  No bueno.

Enjoy!

xo,

V