Chicken soup may be the ultimate home remedy, and we all have our favorite recipe, be it a family favorite or one that comes from a popular cookbook. And the benefits are far from folklore: a study published in Chest’s October 2000 issue suggests that “Chicken soup may contain a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity. Mild anti-inflammatory effects could be one mechanism by which the soup is made could help relieve symptomatic upper respiratory infections. “
In other words, behind this classic soup is science and its potential ability to relieve cold symptoms. For the study, they used a fairly classic chicken soup recipe (they even called it “Grandma’s Soup”): chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, carrots, celery sticks, and parsley, and salt and pepper. One of the best ways to increase the health benefits of a soup recipe is to use a bone broth as a base or a homemade broth (since they aren’t actually that different).
We’re all for sticking to the classic, tried-and-true recipe, but there are also plenty of ways to edit and update the classic chicken soup to make something new out of it. Below are three of our favorite healthy versions:
