It’s cold season around here. I’ve just recovered from a vicious cold that created so much pressure in my ears that my eardrum ruptured!  I had no idea that could happen.  Sheesh.  I’m feeling so much better now, and thanks to a few natural remedies, I was able to survive and avoid taking antibiotics.

This is what the horrible cold virus looks like up close....

The horrible, awful cold virus….

So, even though my husband now has my cold, I am in no danger of re-catching it, thanks to all the Cootie Killer Antibodies now flooding my bloodstream. Yay for me and my awesome immune system :).

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Fun fact for a rainy Monday: Did you know that the traditional comfort food for colds & flu, Chicken Soup, is also an amazing natural immune system booster?  It’s true! And, it’s now a fact, according to the FDA and a study from National Taiwan Ocean University.

Chicken soup (I think it’s best when made from the whole chicken, not just chicken breasts or other pre-packaged parts) has now been found to have “high levels of potent antioxidants.”

I guess our grandmothers already knew that, didn’t they? 🙂

But as for me, well, I forgot. That is, until I was smack in the middle of my horrible cold week. At some point, I weakly remembered

Chicken Soup + Colds = Good Thing.

Pulling myself together, I shuffled out the door and bought myself a chicken.  Believe me when I say this recipe is killer. I think it  might be one of my top 10 best recipes I’ve every created. And, it DID make me feel much better. But, sick or not, this soup is delicious.

Chicken Soup with Turnip and Rosemary

Start with your chicken.  For the amazing flavor that makes this soup so delicious, you need a whole chicken, not the pre-separated chicken packages of breasts, chicken strips or what-have-you. Make sure you rinse, pat dry and remove the gizzard package from the chest cavity (if it’s in there).

Chicken soup with turnips and rosemart

Chicken soup with turnips and rosemary

Place chicken in pot. Pour 32 oz of chicken stock over the chicken. Add a bit of water or more chicken stock till the chicken is covered at least 50%.

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Place bay leaf and fresh rosemary springs in the broth. For the fresh rosemary, I cut two springs about four inches in length each. Add teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of thyme.  Turn on your burner. You’ll want to bring the broth to a good boil, then reduce it to a strong simmer.

Fresh rosemary from my tiny rosemary bush.

Fresh rosemary from my tiny rosemary bush.

While waiting for the stock to boil, chop up your carrots, onion, garlic, and turnip root. I bought pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms, but if you buy whole mushrooms, chop those up, too.

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Toss it all in the pot.  It should be boiling nicely now.  Turn down the fire till it’s a good strong simmer, then put on the pot lid.  You’ll cook this for 1.5 hours.  At the 1 hour mark, throw in your chopped kale.  When finished cooking, turn off the fire and remove the chicken from the pot. Remove skin and bones, shred, then return shredded chicken to the pot. Stir and enjoy! Yummy!

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1 whole chicken

4 carrots (chopped)

1 whole yellow onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (diced)

1 turnip root (chopped)

2 springs of fresh rosemary

bay leaf

Kale (I used about 2 cups, chopped)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp thyme

sliced baby bella mushrooms, about 2 cups (or mushrooms of your choice)

32 oz chicken stock (plus aprox 1 cup of water or additional stock)

Place chicken in pot, pour in chicken stock. Add bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt. Add chopped carrots, mushrooms, onion, turnip root, garlic. Bring to boil, then turn down to rapid simmer. Cook 1.5 hours.  At one hour mark, add kale.  Remove chicken from pot. Remove skin and bones.  Remove as much meat as possible, shred and return to pot.  Enjoy!