Homemade Chicken Soup and Bone Broth Recipe (Paleo, Gluten-free)

This homemade chicken soup is an incredible hearty soup that I make quite often. We are going to be making a homemade stock, also called bone broth as the base, using the bones. You should use a crock pot to make this rather than putting it in a pot on the stove. To make the stock, we’ll be slow cooking the bones for 24 hours to extract every nutrient, and it is much safer to do this in a crock pot.

The benefits of making homemade chicken soup and bone broth are as follows:

Fights the early stages of the flu. Research in the American Journal of Therapeutics showed that a compound found in chicken soup, carnosine, helped the bodys immune system to fight the early stages of flu. The benefits, however, only lasted until the soup was excreted from the body, so you need to consume it several times a day.
Helps to fight upper respiratory infections. Dr Stephen Rennard, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, did a study on why chicken soup is so healing. He took blood samples from participants and found that the chicken soup inhibited that movement of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils, which protect against infection.
Eases congestion. A study done at Mt. Sinai in Miami showed that chicken soup increased the movement of nasal mucus. Participants were divided into 3 groups. One group consumed cold water, one group consumed hot water, and one group consumed chicken soup. The groups that consumed both hot water and chicken soup both showed improvement, but the group that consumed the chicken soup had the most benefits.
Improves immune functioning. Onions contain a substance called organosulfides that stimulate the immune system. Onions also contain quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that is a natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory. Carrots contain beta-carotene which help white blood cells to fight viruses and bacteria.
Thins mucus. Chicken contains the amino acid, cysteine which thins mucus and makes it easier to expel.
Aids in joint pain. According to Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, homemade bone broth or stock contains minerals that are easily absorbed into the body. These minerals are calcium, magnesium, phosphours, silica, sulfur and trace minerals. Bones also contain high amounts of glucosamine and chondritin, and by slow cooking bones with vinegar, all of these nutrients are extracted out of the bones and into your soup, and into your body when you drink it.
Bone broth can seal and heal your gut lining due to its high content of natural gelatin. Modern living, poor diet, chlorinated water, stress and bacterial overgrowth, can cause our gut linings to become too permeable. When the gut lining becomes too permeable, food particles can slip through causing food allergies and sensitivities. The gelatin in bone broth helps to heal and seal your gut lining so these food particles cannot seep through.
Bone broth is anti-inflammatory due to the amino acids it contains; glycine, proline, and arginine.
Bone broth can aid in insomnia due to the glycine it contains.
Bone broth makes your hair and skin healthier due its concentration of natural gelatin.
Bone broth helps your bones to become healthier due to its high, easily absorbable mineral content.
Bone broth can help you to save money. It does this in 3 ways. First, if you just save all the bones from the food you eat that you would normally throw away and make either a bone broth that you drink by itself or turn it into a soup, you have a highly nutritious addition to your diet. Second, because bone broth contains so many nutrients and minerals, you won’t have to buy as many nutritional supplements. Third, because of its high gelatin content, consuming bone broth regularly can cut down on your need for protein, saving you money.
Bone broth is detoxifying to the liver due to its large content of glycine.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Homemade Chicken Soup and Bone Broth Recipe (Paleo, Gluten-free)

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 27 hours

Total time: 27 hours 40 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 Whole Organic Chicken
6 Carrots
8 stalks of Celery
2 Onions
½ cup Cilantro
Spring or Filtered water
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon dried Thyme
1 tablespoon dried Sage
1 tablespoon Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt

Instructions

Roast the chicken in the oven for an hour at 375 degrees.
When done, let the chicken cool in the refrigerator.
When it is cool, take all of the meat off the bones.
Put the chicken meat into the refrigerator
Put the bones into a large crock pot with the water and apple cider vinegar.
Bones are loaded with nutrients and minerals and the purpose of the vinegar is to leach all of these nutrients out of the bones, but don't worry, you won't be able to taste it.
Peel one of the onions and chop.
Chop 2 of the carrots and 2 stalks of celery.
Place the vegetables into the crockpot.
Cook on low for 24 hours.
After 24 hours remove all of the bones, the onions, celery, carrots, and parsley from the crock pot and throw them out. At this point, you will have a very rich and tasty stock, filled with nutrients. This is a perfect base for your homemade chicken soup.
In addition to making bone broth as a base for your homemade chicken soup, many people make it and drink it plain on a daily basis. This is because of all of the health benefits listed above.
Now you will begin making the soup.
Peel and chop the remaining carrots, celery, cilantro, and onion and place them in the crock pot with the salt and herbs.
Turn the crock pot on high.
Wait until the vegetables are cooked which could take two hours, and then add the chicken. The chicken is already cooked so if you put it in with the other vegetables, it will get overcooked.
Cook for one hour more hour and serve.

I usually make a pot of this homemade chicken soup every two or three weeks. I keep some of it in the freezer and take it out as needed. It is especially good to have some homemade chicken soup in the freezer so it is always available in case someone in your household gets sick.