jewish penicillin « A Guy With Crohn's

Yesterday started Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week and what happens…I get sick. Ok, it is just a cold, but still feel like crap. The weather has cooled down a lot and I am constantly feeling cold now. So what better thing to do then to make some nice hot chicken soup. Recently someone asked me how to make it. I sent them my recipe and now that I am making it I figured, let me take some pictures and share the recipe with you.

I know a lot of Crohnies like soup for when they aren’t feeling well and it helps to settle a stomach and rehydrate you. Also, I grew up hearing it called Jewish Penicillin so how bad can it be for you. The great thing about this soup is that it is naturally Gluten Free so I don’t have to worry about that.

So, without further delay, here is my chicken soup:

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken
3 Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery
1 Turnip
1 Parsnip
1 Onion
Fresh Herbs

Take chicken and wash it off. But into 1/4 ers and place in large soup pot.
Peel carrots and parsnip. Place into pot. Trim celery and turnip and add to pot. Peel onion and slice into 1/4ers. Add to pot.
Add any fresh herbs that you like. Some ideas are thyme, marjoram, oregano, parsley, basil and rosemary.
Fill pot with water and cover.
Place onto medium heat until water boils.
When water boils, add 2 tsp of chicken bouillon (I use the loose instead of cubes).
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for an hour.
When done, turn off heat. Remove chicken to a plate. Remove any vegetables you don’t want to serve with the soup to a bowl. Drain any soup in the bowl with the vegetable and discard the veggies. Drain any soup from chicken.
Serve.

Now how you serve it is all up to you. I take my chicken and back it off with some spices. As for the soup, I make some gluten free pasta and serve the soup with that. I keep the carrots only. Some ideas are to add rice to the soup, chop up the chicken and add that back, or even make some matzoh balls for a traditional jewish soup.