Apart from lozenges and paracetamol, your next port of call might be nourishing and vitamin-packed dishes when trying to tackle a stubborn cold or a bad flu. Many experts claim that good nutrition is one of the key weapons you can add to your arsenal of defence against winter viruses, with chicken soup often headlining the lists.
With the first sip warming you right up, the food is not only easy to consume when you are feeling under the weather but it can also loosen mucus. Plus, the broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.
For those who prefer something a little different, Jamie Oliver’s chicken broth recipe with the addition of bacon and an optional splash of alcohol might be the perfect fit. What’s more, the chef swears by this dish when trying to fend off the “man flu”.
“When I get a bad case of man flu, this simple twist on chicken soup perks me right up,” the chef penned on his website. You can make the beloved winter warmer in four easy steps.
It takes about ninety minutes to prepare and is “super easy” to make. Jamie Oliver’s recipe serves six peckish guests, so it is also perfect if you’re not the only ill member of your household.
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Plus, the recipe is both dairy-free and gluten-free so the dish is also suitable for those with common dietary requirements. All you need is nine ingredients and you’re ready to go.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg higher-welfare chicken
- Two carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)
- Two sticks of celery (roughly chopped)
- One rasher higher-welfare smoked bacon
- Two to three sprigs fresh rosemary
- One handful of shiitake mushrooms
- One splash sherry or port (optional)
- Sea salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method
1. Place your chicken, carrot, celery and bacon in a large saucepan, cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Then, turn the heat down and simmer slowly for an hour and a quarter, skimming the white residue off the top every now and then.
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2. Add your rosemary sprigs, shitake mushrooms and sherry or port (if you are using it) for the last 10 minutes, then remove the chicken from the pan. It should be perfectly cooked, and can be torn into slivers to put into the soup later.
3. Season the soup with salt. Then, ladle it through a sieve into bowls, trying not to disrupt it too much as you want to keep it reasonably clear.
4. Add the chicken slivers and a few mushrooms to each bowl and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. The finished dish should be “a kinda clear consommé”.
While scientific evidence is still lacking when it comes to backing the healing properties of chicken soup, the dish is definitely easy to stomach when you’re unwell. Plus, the staple ingredients in this recipe like carrots are a good source of vitamin A.
Furthermore, celery is packed with vitamin C, which is known for its immunity-boosting powers. The rosemary used to season Jamie Oliver’s chicken broth could offer antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, further complementing your recovery.
Plus, the start of the show – the chicken – provides protein and zinc, which could also help you feel better. One study even found that taking a zinc supplement lowered the risk of getting “severe” flu by a whopping 87 percent.
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