Flu-Busting Chicken Soup

The chicken soup is good for your soul and your health. Made from scratch, it's packed with ingredients to boost your immune system and ward off the illness. What it's not packed with is fat and empty calories. Reasearchers at the University of Nebraska found that homemade Chicken soup really does make you feel better when your sick. It reduces congestion and inflammation by limiting the movement of white blood cells that produce infection-related mucus.

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts (skin on and bone in, about 2 lbs.)

2 stalks celery, cut in half

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 medium yellow onion , cut in half

2 cups baby carrots , cut in half

1 sprig fresh oregano

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and minced (about 4 Tsps.)

1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves

1 1/2 lbs red potatoes or purple potatoes , cut into bite-size pieces

3 medium plum tomatoes , seeded and chopped (about 2 cups)

salt and pepper , to taste

Directions

1. Put chicken, celery, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup carrots, the oregano sprig and half the onion into a large pot. Fill pot with cold water, 2 inches above ingredients; put over high heat. When water boils, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer 1 hour.
2. Set aside chicken to cool and discard all veggies and herbs. Strain broth into a large bowl, skim fat from top, and set aside.
3. Put oil, jalapeno, the chopped oregano leaves, 2 remaining garlic cloves (minced) and the remaining half onion (chopped) into a large pot. Cook at medium heat until vegetables are just soft, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to high; add broth, potatoes and remaining carrots. When broth boils, reduce heat to medium. Cook until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Shred meat into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken, tomatoes, salt and pepper to soup. Cook until warm.

Source: www.recipebazaar.com