A tried and tested household remedy for colds or upper respiratory tract infections (mucous membranes, sinuses) is chicken stock! However, this does not refer to the practical stock cube, in which additives and flavor enhancers are hidden. If you want to try out the healing properties of chicken soup, you have no choice but to make it yourself.

Too much work? Far from it! A good chicken stock is very uncomplicated and quick to make, at least until it's on the stove. But you don't have to supervise the gentle simmering, so the active time you need is only 15 minutes!

Using fresh food and cooking it yourself is really important for our well-being. If you are a vegetarian, you can easily make your own vegetarian stock.

Homemade chicken broth - tried and tested for centuries

Homemade chicken broth probably dates back to Greek writings and was recommended by the Egyptian-Jewish physician and philosopher Moshe ben Maimon in the 12th century for respiratory diseases.

Almost 1000 years ago, the local Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Bingen also recommended using liquid chicken extract to counteract the ailments of the cold season in her nutritional medicine. Hildegard also mentions that leeks weaken the immune system. This is why it is not used in our recipe below.

However, chicken soup has also made the leap into modern times. A study by the University of Nebraska in the USA found that chicken soup can have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Chicken broth recipe - it's that easy

The important thing with this recipe is that you use organic ingredients. The vegetables are used unpeeled and the chicken is cooked, so there should be as few harmful substances in the food as possible.

Ingredients:

large onions

medium-sized carrots
1/4 tuber of celery

stalks of parsley

soup chicken (approx. 800g-1kg, ready to cook)

teaspoon of white peppercorns

small bay leaves

slices of fresh ginger
High-quality sea salt

Preparation:

1. Wash and halve the onions. You can leave the skin on. Wash and roughly dice the carrots and celery. They do not need to be peeled. Wash the parsley and use it whole.
2. Place all the vegetables, peppercorns, bay leaf and ginger in a large soup pot.
3. Thoroughly clean the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Cut off the "rump", which is the fat gland on the tail (if it is left on, the chicken soup could have a slightly runny taste).
4. Place the chicken in the pan with approx. 3 liters of cold water (the chicken should be completely covered with water).
5. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat and then simmer uncovered over a low heat for approx. 1.5 hours. Regularly skim the foam from the surface with a slotted spoon.
6. Then pour through a sieve into another pan.
7. Leave the chicken to cool slightly.
8. Reduce the collected chicken stock a little more if necessary and only now season to taste with salt.
9. Either continue to use the chicken stock or immediately pour it into a saucepan. Place in storage containers such as preserving jars, seal and store in the fridge.
10. Skin the chicken and remove the meat from the bone (it will come off very easily if the chicken is properly cooked). Use the meat either in soup or other dishes.

Have you ever made chicken stock yourself? Is there an old family recipe that you swear by for the flu? Feel free to write us a comment so that other readers can benefit from your experience too!