There is something so incredibly comforting about chicken soup.  When the snow is falling and the wind is blowing so hard it makes your face hurt chicken soup is like sunshine for the soul.  After all, they even named a series books filled with warmhearted stories “Chicken Soup for the Soul”.

So when I’m cold and … yes… a little miserable from the cold already… chicken soup is the cure all.  It’s just so easy to make that I often wonder why anyone would ever get canned soup.

This version of soup also has a secret ingredient that makes the bowl high in protein, low in carbs and also high in fibre.  I’m not sure if you’ve read any of my past posts that talk about the Shirataki noodles… but I have come to love them and appreciate how much easier they make my dieting / cleansing efforts.  For more information see the link here. Seriously, I don’t get any money from them…. and I don’t work for them… I just truly love them!

If you having a cold day hibernating in the house, make a pot of chicken soup… enjoy it all week and if you fill it with the whole bowl will be guilt free!

Soup

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 onion (peeled but whole)
• 2 carrots (peeled but whole)
• 2 celery stalks (peeled but whole)
• a few (I generally put 3 or 4) cloves of garlic (peeled and whole)
• 1 teaspoon or so of peppercorns

Place all the above ingredients in a large soup pot, the largest one you have, cover everything with water and set it to boil.  Once it comes to a boil, turn it down so that it’s just simmering and let it go.  Have a cup of hot chocolate or something… watch that show you’ve taped but haven’t had time to watch or read a couple of chapters of that book you’ve been meaning to get to… checking on the soup every so often to make sure that the chicken is still covered and if not then add some more.

Once the soup has been cooking for about an hour… or two…. essentially until the chicken is cooked.  Take the chicken out and let it cool on a plate pouring any broth that drains on the plate back into the pot 😉  While the chicken is cooling take out the onion and garlic cloves and throw them away, pull out the celery and carrots and chop them up and put back in pot.  Remove all the meat off the chicken, tearing or cutting into bite sized pieces and place back into the pot.

Season with salt, pepper to taste and then add a sprinkling of marjoram or parsley and voila you are done.  To make it a perfect filling meal add some shirataki rice and enjoy.