Time For A Hearty, Heathy Soup!
It’s bitterly cold throughout much of the US, and with flu season well underway, my wife Alex asked me to make a healthy soup for the season – and found me a recipe that includes this “superfood”:
All Hail Turmeric!
Turmeric is a golden-orange spice from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, a relative of ginger, which is used for both culinary purposes and traditional medicine due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of its active compound, curcumin.
As the John Hopkins Medicine website says:
“Like other colorful plant-based foods, turmeric is rich in phytonutrients that may protect the body by neutralizing free radicals (pollution, sunlight) and shielding the cells from damage.” Diets rich in plant-based foods are associated with prevention of medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
With that in mind, my wife sent me this recipe from “Ambitious Kitchen”, which is a terrific way to add Turmeric to your recipes!
Here are the ingredients for a “Turmeric Chicken And Couscous” Soup!
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced – but I used more
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger – I used more, you will love it!
And of course, the miracle ingredient:
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric – I added a bit more as I love the flavor!
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme, stems removed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Yes, here is another way to pump some Turmeric into the dish! Use 1 cup pearl couscous that is Turmeric infused! Finally:
- ⅔ cup peas – fresh if you have them – but I used more!
This is so easy to make! Let’s get started:
- Cook the veggies. Warm oil in a large pot, then cook garlic, onion, carrots and celery until soft.
- Combine the soup. Grate lots of fresh ginger, then the turmeric, and stir for 30 seconds, then add the chicken stock and the chicken thighs.
- Add the couscous. Bring the soup to a boil, stir in the couscous, then simmer uncovered until the chicken is fully cooked.
Here’s how easy it is:
After cooking, you remove the chicken and set aside.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the cooked chicken with a slotted spoon and shred it with 2 forks, then add it back to the pot.
- Finish & serve. Stir in the peas and let cook for a few minutes, then taste and adjust any seasonings, and enjoy!
Here’s how it came out:
Healthy And Delicious!
I loved this dish: the couscous added a depth of flavor to the dish, and the chicken gave it a nice protein push…butyou could make it as a vegetarian dish as well!
I loved the fresh peas as well….I have started to incorporate peas more into my cooking:
Here is a recipe for a very healthy fresh pea soup!
Soup is so healthy – especially if you make some Greek Longevity Stew!
Here’s a really healthy recipe that will help you live forever!
I also made another delicious stew recently that my wife said was her favorite ever!
It utilized a technique I had never tried before…here’s a hint:
Click here to see what I did and why I did it!
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Looks delicious and nutritious!
I love the idea of infusing the couscous as well as the soup! Double good John!
It was really good! Of course, the next day my wife had another bowl and those couscous soaked up all the broth, leaving her a chunky stew! Thanks for your note!
Actually I do not call anything a ‘superfood’ – there is just food that is not only tasty but good for us and other stuff we should avoid. Living in Australasia turmeric is naturally an ingredient we use in many dishes > after all it. is the one giving the yellow colour to our many curries. However, since the food we buy from the supermarket these days is so lacking in the values it used to have, I actually take a turmeric capsule 3-4 a week. Your recipe looks and sounds great . . .keep on keeping on . . .
I do love turmeric, drink a tea with it, and I’m going to try this recipe ! it’s sooooo cold
I put turmeric in casseroles and add it to quorn, but not too much otherwise it spoils the taste (IMHO). I also drink turmeric tea. When I worked in the Pain Medicine Clinic the doctors recommended it along with ginger and pineapple as a way of easing joint pain.
We do a daily turmeric shot – they have become very popular here along with ginger shots as well!
A great soup. Turmeric is so pretty. I have learned not to use too much, however, it can be a bit bitter if you go crazy!
Great point Chef! Thanks for sharing that!
Great looking soups, John. I would happily eat those on a cold winter night.
Best wishes, Pete.
This looks really good, John. Tumeric is also a natural anti inflammatory.
Thanks for that Robbie…interesting that it has become much more popular her in the US in the past few years, especially in supplements and “super shots” as well!
That is interesting. I take a tablet that includes turmeric every day
My husband swears by turmeric and uses it every day.