Sage & Echinacea Chicken Soup – Easy Herbal Remedy Cold & Flu Care Recipe

Prep time: 30mins  |  Cook time: 45mins

Ingredients:

• 1 T. butter
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 medium head garlic { smashed and minced at least 15 minutes prior to cooking
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts chicken broth { or hot water plus Better Than Boullion organic chicken base from Costco according to package directions
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast { use leftover deboned chicken if you have it, just wait to add it until the end
• 2 T. dried sage leaves { rubbed in the palms of your hands to create a fine powder
• 2-4 T. dried echinacea { use dried aerial parts and roots in a tea strainer ball or bundle in cheese cloth, or 2-4 pre-made echinacea tea bags
• 1/2 t. crushed cayenne pepper 
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces pasta, uncooked { or an equivalent amount of leftover cooked rice or pasta may be used here
• 2-4 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat butter and olive oil together in a medium size soup pot over med-low heat.
2. Saute the garlic and onion on MED-LOW until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. You do not want these to brown, just soften.
3. Increase the heat to MED and add flour to create a roux. Whisk in to absorb oils and cook 1-2 minutes. Let it bubble, but do not let it brown.
4. Add the chicken broth to the pot, careful of the steam! Whisk and stir over low heat to eliminate any lumps. This will give you a somewhat thickened but still nice and brothy soup base.
5. Bring to a simmer and add the whole uncooked chicken breast, carrots, sage, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
6. Place dried echinacea into a tea strainer ball or bundle in cheese cloth and add to the pot. You want to let this steep in the broth for as long as possible to release the medicinal qualities into the broth.
7. Simmer covered on low approximately 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and will pull apart easily.
8. Remove the chicken breast to a plate and allow it to cool enough to handle.
9. While the chicken cools, add the pasta to the pot and simmer according to package directions or desired doneness (usually 7-12 minutes, depending on the variety of pasta used).
10. Pull the chicken apart with a fork to make rough spoon sized pieces and return it to the soup pot to heat through.
11. Remove the echinacea bundle or tea bags.
12. Toss in a handful of fresh chopped parsley to finish.
13. Serve it up! Store the leftovers in the fridge to reheat as needed until you are feeling better.

Get well soon!