Eating dairy-free, grain-free, and gluten-free does not mean you have to sacrifice taste or stress out about meal planning. Below is one of my favorite recipes for dinner that’s super-quick, easy, and packed with nutritious ingredients.
Paleo Chicken Soup
It uses chicken broth as a base and has tons of vegetables, herbs and spices that, according to Chinese Medicine, will nourish your Qi. For example, sweet potato is in the Neutral food category and nourishes the Spleen energy. The Spleen as we know, provides useful energy for thickening the uterine lining and sustaining the pregnancy. The chicken broth itself nourishes the Kidney as well Spleen energy. Kidneys are ultimately responsible for all things reproductive.
This recipe provides a great use for leftover chicken. The butternut squash and sweet potato combo thickens the soup and adds a creamy texture without dairy. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even make the chicken bone broth from scratch!
Enjoy!
Leftover Roast Chicken Soup with Roasted Vegetables
AUTHOR: Danielle Walker – AgainstAllGrain.com
Ingredients:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed*
- ½ yellow onion, quartered
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups chicken stock, store-bought or homemade
- 2-3 cups leftover shredded chicken or 1 pound uncooked chicken breasts
- ¾ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups baby spinach
*For SCD, eliminate the sweet potato and increase the butternut squash to 2.5 cups
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the vegetables in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large stockpot. Add the chicken, herbs, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook while the vegetables are roasting, about 15 minutes. For raw chicken breasts, cook for about 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and tender enough to shred with a fork.
- Add half the vegetables to the soup, and place the other half in a blender. Make sure to put all of the onions quarters into the blender. Puree the vegetables with the 1 cup of water.
- Add the vegetable puree and baby spinach to the soup. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the soup is hot.
- Adjust seasonings to your taste.
