My ultimate go to comfort food that's also good for you!

     Hello and welcome! As always I'm grateful you found your way to Salt + Honey + Sage! I'm super excited to share with you my go to chicken soup recipe. As we start into cold & flu season I love to make sure I have a bunch of this stocked up in the freezer (because no one wants to cook once everyone is sick!). This dish is packed full of important minerals and nutrients plus it gives you that warm, comforted feeling on cold busy days! 

     As a kid growing up chicken noodle soup was always a staple during the winter and when we were sick. But now that we are gluten and dairy free I've been experimenting with getting a recipe just right. This recipe was originally inspired awhile ago by Danielle Walker's IP recipe Instant Pot Chicken and Vegetable Soup. Whenever possible I also try to get all the ingredients organic. I also wanted something as quick as possible to make so I created this recipe using the Instant Pot! This healthy chicken soup is quick and easy to make plus it freezes well. I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours does! 

The Noodles

     When making this recipe gluten free it was easier to make the noodles separate. The chicken soup is already hearty from the veggies and potatoes but my family still wanted more of a classic "chicken noodle soup". Our favorite two gluten free noodles to add to soups are Jovial inherently good organic brown rice fusilli and Lotus Foods organic brown rice ramen. Whichever noodle you prefer, boil ahead of time and add to each individual bowl of chicken soup before serving. 

***I've never frozen this with the noodles added, I freeze just the chicken soup. I make up fresh noodles when I thaw out a container from the freezer! 

 The Recipe 

Ingredients 

* 2 lbs fresh boneless, skinless chicken thighs

* 12 cups chicken bone broth 

* 1 large yellow onion, chopped

* 6 cloves garlic, minced

* 3 teaspoons Himalayan pink sea salt, plus more to taste

* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 

* 7 carrots, peeled and sliced

* 7 celery stalks, sliced

* 5 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed 

* 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

* 4 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, chopped

* 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

* 2 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning 

* 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped 

* 1 bay leaf

* 3 tablespoons ghee

* zest of 1 lemon

* 1 teaspoon lemon juice 

Instructions

1. Place the 2 lbs fresh chicken thighs in the instant pot. Add on top 8 cups of the bone broth, the 1 large chopped yellow onion, the 6 minced garlic cloves, the 3 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper. Stir gently then secure the lid. Select the manual setting for 14 minutes.

2. Once the 14 minutes is up, quick release the pressure. Take the chicken thighs out and either shred them apart (with two forks) or cut into bite sized chunks, then return to the instant pot. 

3. Add the 7 sliced carrots, 7 sliced celery stalks, 7 cubed potatoes, 2 cups chopped baby spinach, 4 oz chopped mushrooms, 3 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley, 2 1/2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning, 1 sprig fresh chopped rosemary, 1 bay leaf and 3 tbsp ghee into the instant pot. Stir gently then secure the lid. Select the manual setting again for 5 minutes. 

4. Once the 5 minutes is up, quick release the pressure. Add the remaining 4 cups of bone broth, zest of 1 lemon and 1 tsp lemon juice. Gently stir then remove the bay leaf. Add additional salt + pepper to taste. Then add the boiled noodles into bowls, ladle the soup on top and serve hot. Enjoy!

*Freezer tip: place the soup in containers in the fridge for a day before placing into the freezer!