An Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup recipe to keep your body feeling strong and energized year round! This turmeric chicken soup includes carrots, parsnips, kale, bone broth, and more for an immunity-boosting powerhouse meal.
Is there anything more gratifying than a big hearty bowl of chicken soup?
This may be an unpopular confession, but I love soup no matter the time of year, but particularly during the colder months.
The basic premise of this recipe is we’re taking a classic chicken soup and adding anti-inflammatory health benefits of turmeric, ginger, parsley, and kale for a nice antioxidant punch, giving you even more nutrients and flavor.
I engineered the recipe specifically to be phenomenal for overall health and to be particularly helpful with reducing cold symptoms like sore throats and congestion.
So make a big batch of this immune boosting chicken soup to boost immune function, lower the intensity of colds, or just enjoy a hearty, filling meal.
This amazing healthy chicken soup recipe is quick and easy to make and is paleo, keto, AIP, and whole30. I have also included a Low-FODMAP option for my friends with digestive issues.
If you’re like me and you enjoy a big bowl of chicken soup during those chilly fall and winter evenings, you’re going to go BONKERS over this recipe.
How Is This Recipe Immunity Boosting?:
Many of the ingredients in this homemade chicken soup are packed with antioxidants, which help clear out free radicals and lower inflammation. Specifically, ginger, turmeric, and kale are known to help maintain a strong immune system.
Not only is the soup designed to not evoke an inflammatory response in the immune system, but it is also designed to heal. The amino acids in chicken meat contain the building blocks that help heal soft tissues, muscles, and the gut lining.
This is a powerfully healing recipe for both preventing and getting rid of colds. Since cold and flu season is upon us, you’ll want to keep this one in your arsenal due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for this turmeric chicken soup recipe.
Ingredients for Anti-Inflammatory Soup:
Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the vegetables and brown the chicken, we need a quality cooking oil. I prefer avocado oil over olive oil because it has a higher smoke point, so it doesn’t burn as easily at high temperatures.
Fresh Vegetables: Yellow onion, carrots, parsnip, celery, garlic, and kale are the fresh veggies I like adding to this soup.
You can get creative and add your favorite vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini, and bell pepper. Any kind of dark leafy greens like spinach or chard work as a replacement for kale in this easy chicken soup recipe.
Chicken Breasts: Adding a boost of protein and healing amino acids. I like using lean chicken like boneless skinless chicken breast, but chicken thighs work too.
Dried Herbs: Dried parsley, ground turmeric, ground ginger, sea salt and black pepper. Parsley, ginger, and turmeric are all known for their anti-inflammatory properties. You can use fresh ginger or fresh turmeric if you’d prefer.
Most grocery stores carry the fresh version but some parts of the year they are more difficult to find. If you have fresh herbs on hand, feel free to add them in.
Chicken Broth: Used as the broth portion of the recipe, I like using chicken bone broth. Vegetable stock works here too.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: I add full-fat canned coconut milk to make the soup a little creamy and smooth out the sting of the turmeric and ginger so you’re left with a beautifully flavored, oh-so satisfying bowl of yummy superfood.
The added pizzazz of turmeric is what makes this chicken soup recipe so glorious. In case you’re new to turmeric, I’ll give you a brief run-down about why it’s so cool.
Health Benefits of Turmeric:
- Natural anti-inflammatory (great for those with autoimmunity, arthritis, or those looking to heal from something…anything!)
- Packed with antioxidants, which helps eliminate free-radicals, thereby preventing disease, slowing down the aging process, and fighting cancer.
- Boosts levels of your brain hormone, BDNF, which can help reverse and prevent brain-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s and depression.
- May lower your risk of heart disease by improving the function of the endothelium (the lining of your blood vessels).
I will say, you can absolutely over-do it on turmeric, so be careful not to get too excited and add too much.
I find 1 teaspoon is the perfect amount for this soup, where you get a hint of the flavor but it is far from overpowering. If you enjoy the flavor of turmeric, feel free to increase the amount. If you’re using fresh turmeric, bump this up to 2 teaspoons.
One of the best parts about chicken soup is it is incredibly easy to make, and doesn’t require very much hands-on time.
Let’s make this detox immune-boosting chicken soup!
How to Make Turmeric Chicken Soup
Start by sautéing the vegetables in a large stock pot (I use my Dutch Oven). Add the chicken and allow it to brown for a few minutes.
Add the spices and stir well. You’ll want to continue sautéing everything until you can smell the turmeric.
Pour in the bone broth and coconut milk, cover, and cook at a simmer for at least 15 minutes, preferably 1 hour.
Once the soup is nice and flavorful, add the chopped kale leaves and stir them in. Continue cooking until they are nice and wilted. This will only take a few minutes.
Serve it up in big bowls, and enjoy!
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe Adaptations:
- To make this recipe Low-FODMAP, omit the onion and garlic – don’t worry, the soup will still be plenty flavorful!
- If you want to infuse this soup with even more vegetation, consider adding broccoli or cauliflower florets, or even bok choy.
- Add ⅓ cup white rice, brown rice, or quinoa for some grain action. If you go this route, you may want to add more broth because the grains absorb some of the liquid.
- Add 1 Yukon gold potato or a small sweet potato for some veggie starch action.
- I like using bone broth for maximum nutrients, but you can use regular chicken stock or even vegetable broth.
If you love healthy, filling soup recipes, also try out these reader favorites.
Explore More Healthy Soup Recipes:
I hope you enjoy this colorful display of belly-warming comfort food!
Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion finely diced*
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large parsnip peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced*
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 3 cups chicken bone broth
- 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 small head kale chopped**
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until transluscent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, and garlic and continue sauteeing, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but still al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped chicken and cook just long enough to brown the meat, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes (ideally one hour). Taste soup for flavor and add more sea salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Do you happen to know what the cholesterol numbers are?
This soup was soooo good and flavorful. My husband is sick and his body aches so I wanted to try a soup other then chicken noodle soup. This one is a winner!
I hope your husband feels better soon! Sending my warmest wishes your way! xoxo I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoy the soup!
I can’t wait for dinner tonight. This soup smells and looks so delicious! Glad I found this recipe for this cold day in Pennsylvania!
OOh, I hope you enjoy the soup! Stay warm! xoxox
Outstanding! Our whole family loves this soup! We like heat, so I added a little cayenne – just a preference. The recipe is amazing as it’s written. Thanks for a new family favorite!
Yummy!!! such a great recipe, thank you for sharing! I eat fodmap low for crohns and green onions are fine if you only use the green part(: Plus if you crave garlic, like I do, then there are some garlic infused oils you can sauté your veggies in too.
*Namaste*
-Kelly from yogamindovermatter.com
Loved this! Had to leave out the parsnip because I accidentally put turnip on the grocery list instead and my boyfriend gets the groceries. 😂 Also added 1/4 cup of orzo in the last 10 mins and put the chicken in whole (shredded when done) because I didn’t want to cut it raw. Thanks so much!
Ooh, I love the idea of adding orzo! So happy you’re enjoying the soup! As a side note, turnip will work in the soup too (in case you didn’t end up adding it)! xoxoxo
OMG I read your whole recipe early this AM. I took advantage of all the comments, suggestions, and answers from you. Thank you for doing that too. I didn’t think I would like bone broth as the base but I said heck I will give it a try so many people loved it. Also not a fan of kale but we eat so much spinach I felt confident the kale would be a healthy change from spinach. So my hat is off to you this is best soup I have eaten in a long time! The only one thing I added was mushrooms. I would have still loved it without them too. Thank you again, definitely in my recipe rotation.
I’m so happy you like it, Kathy! Thanks so much for the feedback! xoxo
Can I swap the kale for something else and omit the parsnips please?
Hi Linda,
Absolutely! You can use Swiss chard or spinach instead of kale (or leave the leafy greens out altogether), and use more carrot instead of the parsnip. Or swap it for turnips or potato. Hope you enjoy! xoxo
I just made this and it’s WONDERFUL! It really lends itself well to tinkering and adding extra veggies. I threw in 3 small yellow potatoes, daikon, bok choy, and green onion, and added a tsp of chicken bouillon to account for the additional veg, as well as 1/2 tsp chili powder, and YUM! I’m so glad you posted this recipe (and that I found it!) 🙂
OOH I LOVE the idea of adding bok choy! Your changes sound amazing! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
After the pandemic started, I was looking around at immune boosting soups and found this one. All I can say is I’ve now found a new favorite! I added a few things like whole chilies and crushed peppers, for a little more heat. Also added garbanzo beans. This soup is loaded with all the good stuff and is now part of my recipe rotation. If you haven’t tried it, you’re missing out!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful soup.
I’m so happy you love it, Jennifer! Your changes sound absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for the sweet note and for the feedback…I hope you’re staying well! xoxo
I want to double this recipe and freeze some. Do you know if it freezes and reheats well? Thank you!!
Hi Carrie, OOh, I love the idea of making it in bulk! I’ve never tried freezing it, so I’m not too sure how it would turn out. My gut instinct is you would need to add some more fat/sauce to it so that the vegetables and meat don’t have a strange texture when thawed and reheated. If you can do coconut milk, I’d suggest adding 1/2 cup or so to the portion you freeze to help protect the veggies. Let me know how it turns out!
@Julia,
I would freeze this without the Kale as freezing & reheating that will ruin but C content & probably leave it looking unappetizing. Add steamed kale to reheated soup or just simmer with freshly cut kale before serving.
Looks delicious! Do you think this could be done is a slow cooker?
So happy I came across this recipe. Actually, have to give credit to BF for forwarding me the recipe. He’s not a big fan of coconut milk or anything cream based. Is there a substitute or can coconut milk or any dairy be left out? Thank you so much!
Hi Suzi!
You can definitely omit the coconut milk, no problem! It will still taste great. Hope you and your man enjoy! xoxo
@Julia,
Can you freeze this soup?
Hi Chantelle! Yes, this soup freezes well!
Do you think I could substitute the chicken with lentils? I’m not opposed to chicken…..just trying to get my husband to eat a meatless meal once in awhile 🙂
Hi Stacy,
Yes, absolutely! I think lentils would be great in this soup. I would start with 1/2 cup and increase the amount of broth if necessary, as lentils will soak some of it up. I hope you enjoy! xoxo
It was fantastic!! We didn’t miss the meat at all and the flavor was awesome!! I used 1/2 c. of lentils and 4 c. of broth and it was perfect. Thank you!
Seriously..i couldn’t give a rat a$$ about your silly story. Can you please put a button called “Jump to Recipie”? Thank you.
Cry me a river, build your own blog, and get over it.
Love this…tell em!!
Quick question. Thoughts on adding some black pepper to pump. Yo p the turmeric?
********
Borriwed,-
With just 1/20 teaspoon or more of black pepper, the bioavailability of turmeric is greatly improved, and turmeric’s benefits are further enhanced.
@Julia, Love it! Thank you Julia for sticking to your grounds. I’m so tired of crybabies, haters, etc.
@Tejas Patel,
I don’t care about the blog either but that’s how they make their money so I understand. I always scroll immediately to the bottom.
Blessings!
@Julia, love your reply. I’m so grateful for all the time you put into sharing this with us. Thank you!!
Thank you for this great recipe!!!!
I just made this soup and its delicious.
I did have to make a substitutes (didn’t want to go out in the cold). I did not have ground ginger, I chopped fresh ginger instead and I left out the parsnips (didn’t have nay at home) and vegetable broth instead of chicken bone broth.
Even with all of these subs it was still scrumptious.
Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Yaaaas I’m so happy you like it, Lisa!! Thank you for the sweet note and the feedback! xoxo