Chicken & Dill Soup
— vata, kapha, + pitta
This soup is always a winner in my family because it’s just so delicious, comforting and, best of all, easy! My 3-year-old will slurp down bowls of it. It’s great to know she’s getting all the goodness of broth along with heaps of veggies and herbs.
Dill is considered medicinal in many cultures, and Ayurveda is no exception. Being pungent and bitter in nature, dill is a powerful digestive aid and detoxifier and helps release coolness from the body. This makes it great for relieving kapha, but in large quantities, it may be too stimulating for vata and too heating for pitta, so you may like to reduce the amount of dill used in this recipe depending on your season and constitution.
We definitely have this recipe more often in winter, but it can be made any time of year when you’re feeling a bit run down, sluggish or tired because eating it feels like getting a nice, big hug.
Of course, the veggies used can be changed with the seasons and whatever needs using up.
Ingredients
1 whole organic chicken
1.5 L water
2 bay leaves
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2/3 scant cup dill, finely chopped
1/3 cup white long-grain rice
1 large bunch dark leafy greens, sliced finely
small handful parsley, roughly chopped
1 lemon, cut in half
sea salt to taste
Method
Boil the chicken gently in a large pot with the lid on in water with the peppercorns for approximately 20 mins skimming off impurities as they rise to the surface.
Add all the veggies except the greens, as well as the rice, dill and salt, and simmer on low for another 15 mins.
When the rice and veggies are tender, add the dark leafy greens to the top of the soup without stirring them through and close the lid. Simmer for another 7 mins, until the greens are just wilted.
Serve the soup in large bowls with large pieces of the chicken, which should be tender and easy to pull apart. Garnish each bowl with a handful of parsley, a generous squeeze of lemon and extra sea salt and cracked pepper to taste.
