Low Iodine Healing Chicken & Root Vegetable Soup
Warm, deeply savory, and built entirely from whole, unprocessed ingredients, this soup is the kind of bowl that feels like genuine nourishment from the first spoonful. Carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and celery simmer in a slow-cooked chicken broth until everything is tender and the flavors have melded into something far greater than the sum of their parts. For anyone navigating a low-iodine protocol, packaged soups and broths are almost always off the table — they tend to sneak in iodized salt, additives, and dairy derivatives that make label-reading exhausting. This recipe sidesteps all of that by starting with fresh chicken pieces and cold water, building a clean broth from scratch with nothing but apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs, and a measured amount of non-iodized sea salt. The long, gentle simmer draws collagen and flavor from the bone-in chicken, so you end up with a rich, satisfying broth without any shortcuts or questionable pantry staples. Shredded chicken gets stirred back in alongside the cooked vegetables, making every bowl hearty enough to stand as a full meal. A handful of fresh parsley on top adds a bright finish that makes the whole thing feel just a little bit special.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the broth
- 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and/or drumsticks), fresh or freshly thawed
- 8 cups cold water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
For the soup
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium sweet potato (about 8 oz), peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 3 stalks celery, sliced ½-inch thick
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Chef's tipFine sea salt and table salt measure the same - no conversion needed.
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken pieces in a large 6–8 qt stockpot and cover with 8 cups of cold water. Add the apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Skim off any gray foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 minutes.
- 2
Once the broth is clear and the foam has been skimmed, add the thyme sprigs and rosemary sprigs. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes — do not exceed 2 hours 30 minutes total simmer time.
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