Nutritionist shares ‘heal me’ soup that’s ‘packed with vitamins’

As the winter chill sets in, Brits are once again battling with the annual onslaught of sniffles, coughs, and colds. If you’re feeling under the weather and in need of a pick-me-up, we’ve got just the thing for you.

Emily English, a 30-year-old nutritionist, took to Instagram to share her favourite, ‘heal me chicken soup‘. Despite being only 400 kcal, Emily assured that it’s chock-full of vitamins C and A, thanks to an abundance of vegetables and herbs.

She said: “There is nothing more healing than a really good chicken soup, and this will pick you up, give you everything you need to nourish your body and leave you feeling warm and comforted.

“When you’re run down, post-travel, or edging into cold season, this is the pot to make. Packed with vitamins A & C and antioxidants from plenty of veg and herbs, easy to digest.”

If you’re eager to try out Emily’s recipe, she recommends gathering the following ingredients. For four portions, includes:

• Two chicken stock cubes dissolved into 2.5L boiling water
• One small sprig of rosemary
• Brown rice 150g
• One lemon (zest and juice)
• Two eggs
• Cooked roasted chicken, 320–400g
• Shredded one tablespoon each of chopped dill and parsley
• Two carrots
• Diced 200g diced butternut squash
• Two sticks of celery
• One large diced onion, finely chopped
• A handful of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• One teaspoon of ginger paste
• Two garlic cloves, minced

To start, warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a substantial saucepan over moderate heat before incorporating the onions, carrots, butternut squash, and celery. Season lightly with a touch of salt and cook gently for approximately five minutes. Then, introduce the mushrooms to the mixture.

After the mushrooms have become tender, fold in the rosemary, garlic, ginger, and rice. Continue cooking for several more minutes before pouring in two litres of heated stock and bringing the mixture to a gentle bubble.

Emily’s tutorial continued: “Cook for 20 minutes with a lid on, stirring occasionally, topping up with reserved stock as needed to keep it soupy. Stir in the shredded chicken and lemon zest and simmer for five minutes or until the rice is cooked, then remove the rosemary and turn the heat to low.

“In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the lemon juice, then slowly whisk in a ladle or two of hot broth to temper. Gradually stir this back into the pot, stirring constantly until the soup turns silky.”

At this stage, Emily said you can switch off the heat and add salt and pepper according to preference. Fresh parsley and dill ought to be added at the end before serving the soup piping hot.

Following the posting of her cooking demonstration this week, Emily has been inundated with responses from followers keen to recreate the dish at home. One person wrote: “Oh my goodness, this looks SO delish,” as another wrote: “Saved for winter.”

Meanwhile, someone else said: “Cold-season comfort in a bowl. We’re saving this for our next recovery day.”

If you’d like to learn more about Emily’s recipes, visit her Instagram page here. The nutritionist has also published a recipe book called ‘So Good’, which is available here.