I am a big fan of soup, particularly on a cold winter-y day. Today I share with you a delicious chicken soup with fresh thyme, brown rice, sliced carrots, a little celery, and a hearty dose of the anti-inflammation spice, turmeric.
Turmeric is BRIGHT yellow (& low FODMAP.) It is used as a natural food dye and one of the main ingredients in many curry recipes.
I think turmeric’s yellow hue makes the soup even more inviting. I folded in pre-cooked brown rice which made the recipe a bit easier to whip up. (Trader Joes and Whole Foods have frozen rice that you can microwave or make your own and set aside to fold in.)
Turmeric may also aid digestion by encouraging bile release and gallbladder contraction.
Ingredients
- Makes about 4 servings
- 1 chicken breast (w/ skin and bones) ~1.5 pounds
- 8 cups water
- 8 thyme sprigs (save a few sprigs for garnish)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric (this is a hefty dose, feel free to start with 1-2 teaspoons and adjust to your taste)
- 1 large celery stalk with leaves, chopped
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot rounds
- 1 1/2 cups pre-COOKED brown rice
Instructions
- Add chicken, water, 6 sprigs thyme, turmeric, celery, salt and pepper to medium stock pot over high heat.
- Bring mixture to boil for about 20 minutes. Check chicken with meat thermometer for doneness, should register 165 degrees F. Shut off heat, cover pot, and let sit for one hour.
- Remove chicken breast and shred meat off bone, throw out bones and skin and set meat aside.
- Add carrots to broth, put heat back on high and boil for 5 minutes or until carrots are fork tender.
- Add in chicken and cooked rice and reduce heat to simmer.
- Skim out sprigs of thyme.
- Pour soup in serving bowl and add fresh thyme as garnish.
I cook my chicken this way when I prepare chicken salad too. I boil a 1 1/2 pound bone-in chicken breast for about 15-20 minutes (check temp. should be 165 degrees F to ensure its cooked through) and let it sit for an hour off heat. This makes the chicken so moist and perfect for a yummy homemade chicken salad base. I save the broth and freeze it for later use. This week, I made chicken salad with lemon, mayo and tarragon and last week, I made it with poppy seeds, red grapes, scallion greens, and pecans.
Who said a low FODMAP diet has to be bland!? Not me!
Joyce
“Eating once, eating twice, eating chicken soup with rice.” : ) But on a more serious note, soup is one of my favorite things to eat when I’m having a bad tummy day–I love how quick and simple this recipe is!
katescarlata
Hope you enjoy this recipe, Joy!
Susan Marchant
I can’t wait to make this scrumptious soup!! Thanks so much!
katescarlata
Enjoy!
Rebecca
I recently heard that carrot top greens are filled with nutrition. I make my own chicken stock for soup often. Could I add carrot top to the water in addition to or instead of celery? Are they low FODMAP?
Going to make this soup next!
Thank you for your advice.
katescarlata
Not sure carrot greens have been tested for FODMAP content–but they are certainly worth a try!
Cita
Isn’t celery high in formals?
katescarlata
1/4 of a medium stalk of celery is low enough in FODMAPs for the elimination phase. (Green light in the Monash App). I didn’t add too much to the soup–just enough to add some nice flavor.
Linda
Hi Kate,
I made my own tomato soup last week and added some carrots for sweetness, and chives in the place of onions. The recipe called for chicken broth, and I tried to make it, but it did not taste that good. I can’t find the Savory Choice that you mentioned where I live, and I thought I had read where Progresso Chicken Broth did not have onions or garlic. I sure would appreciate some thoughts and ideas.
Thank you! Linda
Lucette
Linda,
You can order the Savory Choice online which is what I did. I do make my own chicken broth but sometimes there is not enough time in the weekend to get it all done so I was excited that there is an option to buy that is Low Fodmaps. Amazon Prime is my best friend for things I can’t find locally. 🙂
Hope this helps!
Lucette
Linda
Thank you so much Lucette for the information. I really appreciated it!
Martha Souza
With the Paleo movement there is much conversation that Bone Broth, made with FODMAP ingredients is soothing to the gut of people with IBS.
Do you have any opinions on this?
Thanks
katescarlata
I think bone broth can be a healing food for the gut–but no need to drink copious amounts of it. Foods rich in FODMAPs such as onion and garlic can have a positive impact on the gut microbiome–as they feed beneficial bacteria, however, many individuals can’t tolerate them. Diet for IBS is not a one size fits all approach….I try to include as many nutrient dense healthy plant foods in my patients diets as possible—but again, tolerance varies–and can change over time. What works for one–can be very problematic for another.
Beth B
Thank you, Kate – I *just* finished making a double batch or your soup and it’s delicious! A one-dish meal = my favorite meal! Give us more one-dishers, please, and thank you. : )
katescarlata
Okay Ms. Beth…I will work on one dish meals. Great idea!! 🙂
Ronney O'Donnell
Thank you for your chicken soup recipe that uses turmeric as a spice. I made it recently and it was delicious. I need help in finding a nutritionist who understands the FODMAP diet. Do you have any suggestions for the West Palm Beach/Palm Beach Gardens/Jupiter Florida area? I have worked with your colleague Elizabeth Moore when I lived in Massachusetts and she was wonderful.
katescarlata
Ronney, I don’t know of a dietitian well versed in the low FODMAP diet in that area. I might call the biggest hospital in the area and ask for the outpatient nutrition department and ‘interview’ the staff to see if anyone can help you. I agree, Elizabeth Moore is one of the very best in Boston! Glad you had the opportunity to work with her!
Casey
Thank you, as always for a great recipe! I always think that soup takes a long time to make, but this makes it seem easy.
I so appreciate you and your information. It’s been so helpful.