Xanthan Gum Free Healing Chicken & Root Vegetable Soup
There is something deeply comforting about a pot of chicken and root vegetable soup that has been simmered low and slow until every drop of flavor has been coaxed out of the bones. This recipe builds a rich, golden broth from scratch using bone-in chicken pieces and a splash of apple cider vinegar, which helps draw out the natural gelatin and minerals for a soup that tastes like it took all day — because it kind of did, in the best way. Carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and celery go in after the broth is strained, so every vegetable cooks up perfectly tender without turning to mush. Many packaged soups and store-bought broths sneak in thickeners and stabilizers that can be a real problem for people avoiding certain additives, but this one is completely clean — the body comes entirely from the long-simmered chicken and the natural starch of the sweet potato. Fresh thyme and rosemary do all the heavy lifting on flavor, and a handful of flat-leaf parsley at the end keeps things bright. It is the kind of bowl that genuinely earns the word "healing."
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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
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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