Detox Chicken Soup

This Detox Chicken Soup is my (very unofficial version) of a delicious, healthy chicken soup recipe that is sure to make you feel great!

We are soup junkies at our house! Soup for dinner is one of our favorite meals, whether it’s a meat and pasta packed Beefy Tomato Soup or an all veggie Roasted Tomato Basil Soup, that must be eaten with grilled cheese or plenty of bread for dipping.

Our (Unofficial) Detox Soup Recipe

The official, unofficial chicken soup recipe at my house. So, I’m not in any way a dietician or a nutritionist, let’s get that right out there. What I am is a mom that knows how to make soup, right from scratch using a turkey carcass or a version like this chicken soup that uses tons of flavor and a good quality chicken stock.

Not to sound like Ina here, but you do need to find a good chicken stock that doesn’t look and taste like water. So many brands, even the very popular brands have little to no flavor. Our favorite store bought chicken stock is from Trader Joe’s, but if you don’t have a Trader’s near you I’d recommend Rachel Ray’s Chicken Stock or a bone broth if you can find it.

One of the ways to get awesome flavor into a store bought stock is to really brown your chicken well, like we have here.

What Is Detox Soup?

A detox soup recipe is made up of nutrient dense, healthy foods that help to reboot your system and cleanse your body, mainly your gut.

Because there are so many healthy, nutrient dense foods to choose from, a detox soup can vary greatly from recipe to recipe. My version of detox soup even has a little white wine in it to deglaze the pot, very controversial I know, but it really adds so much flavor.

Of course, you can leave out the wine if you choose and just substitute chicken stock, but unless you’re opposed to the alcohol, do try it because the flavor is amazing.

What Other Ingredients Can I Add To This Chicken Soup Recipe?

Like I said before, there are so many healthy and power packed foods to choose from, you can really make a new version of this detox soup every time you make it! Christie’s Detox Chicken Soup has some of our favorites, and ingredients I know my kids will eat too but there are many more to pick from.

• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Edamame
• Beans
• Diced Tomatoes
• Swap out whole wheat pasta for brown rice, farro or barley, diced potatoes or turnips
• Counting carbs? Leave pasta out and add firm tofu or cauliflower rice

What Makes This Detox Soup Good For You?

While this version of detox soup isn’t super official, I’m not promising you’ll drop 5 pounds by eating it. Although if you follow a low fat, low calorie diet like Weight Watchers this chicken soup recipe is practically zero points. So you might actually drop a few pounds to be honest!

The “good for you” ingredients in this soup are practically every ingredient. From ginger and garlic to LOTS of chopped onions, turmeric and fresh spinach. One ingredient that I think is greatly underrated is the onion. Onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure and even protect against blood clots.

So we added a LOT of onions in this detox soup recipe. Plus when you cook onions down properly, they do add a delicious sweet flavor to your soup recipe.

Whole wheat pasta adds more fiber and a tasty, nutty flavor to this soup so I do recommend that you use it. Whole grains and whole wheats carbs are very important to your health. So important that the “purple” plan on Weight Watchers, for instance, lets you eat all the whole grains and whole wheat carbs for free. Even potatoes.

Yep, zero points people. It’s a carb lovers dream come true diet. For those of you that are interested, I’ll even include the points and serving size in the recipe card!

Can I Make This Chicken Soup Ahead Of Time?

Definitely! If you are making this soup in advance, I would just leave out the pasta as it tends to soak up all the delicious chicken stock. Cook the pasta separately and just add it to each bowl as you serve.

Another benefit to making this soup ahead of time, like the day before or the morning of, is that you can refrigerate the soup and then skim off any fat that settles on the top.

Looking For More Soup Recipes?

• Split Pea Soup with Ham
• Beefy Taco Soup
• Sausage Soup with Spinach and Farro
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Creamy Turkey Rice Soup

Detox Chicken Soup

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Dan
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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This healthy and comforting chicken soup recipe is one of our family favorites! If you’re under the weather or just need a healthy pick me up, this detox soup is the recipe for you!

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Ingredients

• 4 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil
• 2 cups diced onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt, pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1–2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1/4–1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 cups cooked whole wheat bow tie pasta

Instructions

1. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, black pepper and oregano.
2. Add the oil to a large dutch oven or soup pot. Spray the bottom with non-stick cooking spray and then add the chicken breasts in a single layer. Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until the chicken is nicely browned. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Add the onions, celery and carrots to the pot along with a teaspoon of salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Cook fro 7-8 minutes until the vegetables are softened, then add the garlic and cook for  minute longer.
4. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pot. (See note if not using wine) Scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot and cook the wine out for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and then place the chicken breasts back into the pot.
5. Add the bay leaves, ginger and turmeric, stir and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid and let the soup simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Remove the chicken from the soup and place onto a board. Once cooled enough to handle, shred the chicken and add it back to the soup.
7. Stir the spinach into the soup until it wilts and then add the cooked pasta. Serve with crackers, rolls or croutons. Alternately, you can leave the pasta out of the pot of soup and add it to each bowl so that the pasta doesn’t soak up all the broth in the leftover soup.

Recipe Notes

For a low carb version of this soup, cut down on the onions, leave out the pasta and substitute with cauliflower rice, firm tofu, or just omit the ingredient.

Weight Watchers points on Purple plan are 2 points per serving. If you omit the wine and use chicken broth and use an olive oil or avocado oil spray instead of regular oil, the points go down to zero. Meaning you can eat this soup all day long!

If you’re not using wine to make this soup, just add 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock to deglaze the pot.

• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: detox soup recipe, chicken detox soup, healthy recipes, soup recipes, chicken soup recipes, low fat recipes, weight watchers recipes, dinner ideas