Chicken soup has been used as a folk remedy for respiratory illnesses for a long time. In 2000, the scientific exploration of this claim began and has continued. Wikipedia reports, “Chicken soup has long been touted as a form of folk medicine to treat symptoms of the common cold and related conditions. In 2000, scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha studied the effect of chicken soup on the inflammatory response in vitro. They found that some components of the chicken soup inhibit neutrophil migration, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect that could hypothetically lead to temporary ease from symptoms of illness.[1] However, since these results have been obtained from purified cells (and directly applied), the diluted soup in vivo effect is debatable. The New York Times reviewed the University of Nebraska study, among others, in 2007 and concluded that “none of the research is conclusive, and it’s not known whether the changes measured in the laboratory really have a meaningful effect on people with cold symptoms.”[2].”1

Chicken soup is one of my favorite things to cook. The recipe below is meant to make a large pot of soup. It is a living recipe in the sense that the basic format stays the same but I will often rotate ingredients in or out of it. When I feel like more green vegetables I am likely to add bok choi or zuccini. Sometimes I add fingerling or yukon-gold potatoes. I often make a wild rice blend separately and add it to the finished product. Part of the fun of cooking this soup for me is the experimental factor. Continue reading “Chicken Soup With Chinese Herbs Recipe”