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Comforting Hearty “Chicken” Soup
This past week I’ve been cursed with sniffles. The moment I get the sniffles I start to crave Chicken Noodle Soup…
This led me to making this veggie-filled, nutrient packed and antioxidant galore “Chicken” soup that will have you back up and running in no time! It is full of veggies, good for you spices, healthy hearty lentils, and I even slipped some chia seeds in there for good measure and substance 😉 The chia seeds and lentils thicken this soup right up without ever having to use a “roux” made out of flour and butter! This chicken soup will leave you feeling totally satisfied (it is soooo filling!) and energized! Sometimes when you are sick “Chicken” Soup is just what the Doctor ordered 😉
Chicken Noodle Soup and I go wayyy back – In my first year of university, I literally lived off the box chicken noodle soup mix. I would have it almost every day for lunch and maybe even dinner. It’s no wonder I often walked around feeling sluggish and also gained the “freshman” 15 (atleast!) my first year. The Chicken Noodle Soup bought in stores is full of sodium (wayy too much!), preservatives, and super processed! Let’s be honest there is nothing “whole” about the store bought chicken noodle soup packs I’ve come to love and crave…Step Aside store-bought Chicken Noodle soup – there’s a new soup in town!
As a plus, this soup makes a super hearty and large portion so you can enjoy it all week until you get back on your feet (and you won’t have to worry about making a second batch!). The flavours seem to enhance the longer your soup marinates in the fridge (for up to a week). I’m already feeling better since the weekend and almost 100% – this “chicken” soup might just be calling my name for lunch… 🙂
This soup also makes the perfect post-run soup. The weather is getting quite chilly here and after a big run I crave a big bowl of hearty soup! This soup is very restorative since it is filled with tons of yummy nutrients & antioxidants…One little extra with this soup is that it contains a ton of fiber (because of the lentils), so I would not recommend eating it pre-run (will make your run a little less pleasant if you know what I mean) 😉
Wishing everyone a great weekend filled with lots of happiness and good health!
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Comforting ‘Chicken’ Noodle Soup (Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup)
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 diced medium sized red or yellow onion
- 4 diced garlic cloves (or more if you love garlic…)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 heaping tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 heaping tsp ginger
- 1/2 heaping tsp cayenne
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil* (or 2 tsp dried basil)
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube (or you can just sub in water for veggie broth)
- 2 cups chopped leeks (white part)
- 2 chopped medium size tomatoes (I used Roma tomatoes)
- 2 chopped medium carrots
- 2.5 heaping cups chopped cauliflower
- 5 cups water (plus about a cup of water to sautee veggies in)
- 1 1/4 cups pureed pumpkin/squash*
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils
- 1 tbsp chia seeds* (optional)
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- In a large, deep pot sautee the garlic and onions in half cup of water, over medium-high heat, until slightly browned (about five minutes). Add water when necessary. Watch closely to make sure that a bit of water remains in the pot.
- Add olive oil, spices and basil. Sautee for a couple of minutes to release the flavours of the spices. Make sure that there is still a bit of water in the bottom of the pot (add water when necessary).
- Dissolve bouillon cube in water (or just use vegetable broth instead of water).
- Add leeks, tomatoes, carrots, caulilfower, and water (remaining five cups) to the pot.
- Add pureed pumpkin (or squash).
- Maintain a steady simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes until the carrots are soft.
- Add lentils and chia seeds. Simmer soup on medium heat until the lentils are fully cooked (about 25 – 30 minutes).
- Taste the soup and add salt and pepper (or cayenne) to taste!
- Leave the soup in the pot (off heat) until the end of the day and it will continue to thicken. Soup will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
- Voila! Enjoy!
Notes
- • Sub pureed squash if pumpkin is not available.
- • Sub 1-2 heaping tsp of dried basil if you don’t have fresh basil on hand
- • Leave out the chia seeds if you don’t have any
- Nutritional Benefits:No cholesterol, very high in fiber, high in iron, very high in protein, low in fat,very high in vitamin C, A and B6, manganese, magnesium, and thiamin.
What’s your go-to comfort food whenever you’re feeling “under the weather”?
