🧄 chile oil chicken soup
Welcome to those who were just scanning the web and serendipitously landed on my humble site 👋 whether you are in a rut and don’t know what to make; are in that loop of “sooo, what do you want to eat tonight?”; or have fallen into the infinite black hole of saved recipes from social media (the internet is truly ultimate purveyor of maximalist TL;DR content overwhelm 😵💫🫠🤭). I hope you enjoy — it brings me great joy to sprinkle any ease into your life — cheers to your good health, good love & good fortune!
And per my usual caveat, I do not claim to be a doctor or a chef. I do not dream of being a fancy food blogger. I’m just a gal who enjoys living and eating for optimum well-being. I like to creatively alter, and occasionally create, recipes to make them as balanced as possible, in both taste and health. I’ve come to learn soul-food and body-fueling food are both real and equally important, hence the critical importance and beauty of mind-body-soul eating! ✨ I typically like to begin with a key ingredient or two that I’m hoping to work with, search for a preexisting recipe as a guide, then play with measurements and make swaps to level up nutrient density. Consider this a destination for healthy recipe inspiration, where you’ll never have to scroll through any continuously re-populating ads. One of my primary goals is to add a little simplicity in places I’ve found murky.
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There are hardly any words for how delish this soup is…it’s basically a modern, fusion style chicken noodle rice soup. Pulled from the queen bee of inspo, Bon Appetit, I just made a few health forward modifications to their Chicken and Rice Soup with Garlicky Chile Oil…hope you enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
1 organic yellow onion
6 organic garlic cloves
2/3 c organic white rice
1/4 c + 2 tbsp EVOO
2 tsp organic crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb free range organic chicken breast
2.5 tsp pink Himalayan salt, divided
1 bunch organic Tuscan kale
1 lemon
3 sprigs of organic dill
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Finely chop onion. Thinly slice 6 garlic cloves. Rinse rice until water runs clear.
2. Prepare garlic-chile oil by heating EVOO in a large saucepan over medium. Add garlic, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 - 5 mins. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl, leaving 1 tbsp garlic oil in pot. Stir red pepper flakes into garlic oil in bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the 1 tbsp of garlic oil that remains in the in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and begins to take on some color, about 5 mins.
4. Add 8 cups of water to the pan and then stir in rice, chicken and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, about 20 mins.
5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred meat with two forks. Continue to simmer soup while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
6. Rinse kale thoroughly in cold water, then strip the leaves off of thick center ribs, discarding ribs and then thinly slice leaves crosswise.
7. Add kale and shredded chicken to pot. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until kale is bright green and chicken is warmed through, about 4 mins.
8. Remove pot from heat, add in lemon juice, season with salt to taste and stir to combine.
9. Divide soup among bowls, drizzle with reserved garlic-chile oil, top with dill and a few grinds of black pepper. YUMMM!
As with everything I make, I love to know the ingredients will fuel not only a beautiful plate, but a beautiful feeling inside. I will again caveat, I’m not a nutritionist, but as holistic health coach, here’s some functional food for thought:
ORGANIC PASTURE RAISED CHICKEN
Similar to buying organic produce, it’s critical to seek out organic pasture raised chicken and eggs. Similar to whole organic grass-fed beef, there’s a major pay off on the nutrient and taste front, as well as on the ethics side — and if we have to realize that the ethics, such as filthy living conditions, cross right over into the quality of our food (and health!). Don’t skim on quality, if anything skim on quantity.
This brings me to my next point on the importance of quality animal protein. As I primarily plant based eater, I personally find it challenging to eat enough high quality animal protein. I can pile on the nuts, beans, tofu and seeds, but I can tell that when my energy level is down at certain moments, it’s typically pointing back to my body’s need for a little more protein. My recommendation is that as long as you’re open to it, give yourself the challenge of making a fun new meat dish once or even twice a week. It really ups the kitchen game and also gives a boost to energy, as well as mood and immunity!
KALE
So you may wonder what makes kale so special after all? Kale is rich in fiber, antioxidants, calcium, iron, and a wide range of other nutrients that can help prevent a multitude of health problems. As a reminder, we want to consume the most nutrient and antioxidant dense foods because they help the body remove unwanted toxins. Kale is the leader in this space so it’s no wonder its developed such a cult following! With values of vitamins A, K and C completely off the charts, Kale also includes manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins. Stacked with various flavonoids and polyphenols, including quercetin and kaempferol, touting powerful anti-cancer effects, as well as heart and blood pressure protection, in addition to being anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-depressant. Plus kale contains many minerals that most people don’t get enough of and has been seen to lower cholesterol levels, as well as reduce the risk of heart disease — to just name a few of the stellar health benefits.
DILL
Dill is an frequently underrated superfood. It’s rich is Vitamin A, C and magnesium, plus also packed with flavonoids shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke! In addition, it specifically contains limonene, which is typically found in citrus. One of the benefits of dill though is its lack of acidity, so you can reap the benefits of both a fresh tasting herb and consume a boost in it’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral and gastroprotective properties.
PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Since pink Himalayan salt is less processed than table salt, your body has an easier time processing it, as it doesn’t require as much water to clear out the excess sodium! It also contains more than 80 minerals and elements, including potassium, iron, calcium and (naturally occurring) iodine, aiding our body’s natural detoxification process and promoting the removal of bacteria. This can even help lower blood pressure, as iodine supports our body’s electrolyte balance, allowing our intestines to absorb more nutrients.
***important to note, quality is essential — always shop organic, whole, preferably in season, ideally know where your food is coming from and thoroughly wash those fruits + veggies!
