Well, we made it through Christmas! And everyone has the sniffles. That means it’s soup time!

I’m a firm believer that homemade soup makes everything better. Just the aroma of a good broth can pick up my spirits and make my house more warm and inviting!

Today, I am making a slow cooker chicken soup with turmeric, ginger, garlic, and leeks. Easy peasy. except for the part where I forgot I added turmeric already and accidentally added twice. Oh well! It will be really golden!

Turmeric is from a plant in the ginger family, which explains why these two flavors compliment each other. Curcumin (found in turmeric) has some anti-inflammatory properties, and some studies show improvement in blood lipids, blood sugars, and blood pressure!

Too much Turmeric can make your soup a little bitter, so be careful! You can try adding coconut milk for a little sweetness and creaminess. Yum!

I generally don’t follow strict recipes for soup. Almost anything goes. And if you’re feeling tired or not your best, there is no rule that you have to chop and measure to make good food. Some of my favorite soup items are:

• frozen mirepoix – carrots, celery and onions; pre-chopped and ready in the freezer whenever needed.
• chicken thighs, legs, or basically any chicken parts. You do not need to wrestle with a whole chicken if you don’t want to
• refrigerated chicken base (or beef base, or veggie base) Easy way to add flavor. Keeps a long time in the fridge.
• frozen carrots and peas or any other vegetable.
• leftover vegetables – You can save up the leftover veg in a freezer bag until you have enough for soup!
• Salsa. yes Salsa. Adds great flavor for a taco style soup, enchilada soup, etc.
• canned beans; a veggie soup with canned beans can be great on a lazy day. These soups don’t have to cook as long. Use some of the tiny pastas to add more bulk and heartiness.

Recipe (using the term loosely here)

Turmeric Chicken Soup

• Chicken quarters (about 4)
• mirepoix – diced carrots, onions and celery – I used 1 frozen bag
• water – about 8 cups ( I have a really big crock pot)
• turmeric – Probably should keep to about 1 or 2 teaspoons
• garlic – 2 frozen minced garlic pods – so about 2 -4 cloves for me, measure with your heart
• ginger – a good squirt from the container…yeah I did not mince fresh ginger
• garlic and herb seasoning & general all purpose seasoning – till it tastes good
• Leeks ( I used 1)
• frozen carrots ( 1 bag)

I sauteed my mirepoix first, added the seasonings and stirred and let it cook a little bit. Added chicken thighs, water, stirred it up. Slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours until chicken is cooked. About 2 hours in I added sliced leeks that I washed really good, and a bag of frozen seasoned carrots. Let continue cooking.

When the chicken is done, remove from cooker. Let cool a little, then shred, then add the meat back to the pot. While you are doing that you can add, pasta, ready to eat rice (or leftover rice). If I remember I’ll do that. I cannot make any guarantees on that. I’m sure if you remember early enough you can add uncooked rice to the slow cooker, but I know I will not. I think I;ll add diced potatoes… that sounds good too.