Last week my husband got hit with the flu bug just a couple of days before we were supposed to head out of town with friends for the weekend (we escaped the cold for some sunshine!) He woke up feeling the achy bones, chills, a scratchy throat, and was terribly congested. The worst right? We both refused to cancel our weekend plans so he immediately went searching the web for fast remedies for the flu.
WebMD told him to sip on hot and spicy chicken noodle soup. The hot soup helps sooth the throat, and spices like garlic, cayenne (or crushed red peppers), and ginger help with decongestion, break up mucus in the throat, and help fight viral infections. You can read all about it here.
So by request he got a big ol’ pot of Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup.
And let me just tell you it was spi-cy. Which is right up Brett’s ally. I wasn’t too surprised when he ate the entire pot that day. I barely slurped down a small bowl in hopes to avoid catching the bug too. My mouth was on fire, but it was delicious.
Spicy soup and lots of sleep seemed to do the trick! He was feeling ten times better that evening and we still made our trip. So next time you get hit with the flu add some spice to your food and give this Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup a try!! {And let me know if you think it helps! We’re convinced!}
And just so you know, my husband was wondering the same thing you’re probably wondering…..
Why on earth didn’t she chop the carrots?
Because she forgot. That’s all.
Flu Fighting Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
2013-03-11 11:45:10
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 3/4 cup celery, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or cayenne)
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 8 -10 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup milk or cream
- 1 lb Grandma's frozen egg noodles (or any wide egg noodle)
Instructions
- Coat a large pan with 2 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add shredded chicken and quickly brown (1-2 minutes) stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and stir in onion and garlic and let cook for 3-4 minutes, continuing to stir (add a splash of olive oil if starts to stick). Stir in crushed red pepper and ginger and let cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat.
- In a large soup pot bring 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add carrots and celery, reduce heat and let simmer until almost tender. Stir in chicken mixture and continue to let simmer. Stir in 1/4 cup of milk or cream. Lastly stir in egg noodles and let simmer until noodles are cooked. (You can also cook noodles separately and stir in at the end). Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- *use more or less crushed red pepper or cayenne to make as spicy as you would like.
- *if using Grandma's frozen egg noodles be sure to let thaw slightly and separate noodles out on a paper towel--instructions are on bag)
Adapted from Group Recipes
Adapted from Group Recipes
Kristy Denney https://boysahoy.com/
Good to know for future illnesses that are sure to come here!!! And I totally didn’t even notice the whole carrots 🙂 Too funny!!!
When I get hit by something like this, I like Zupa’s Thai Lobster Curry … it’s nice and spicy, but really clears things up! Glad he’s all better and that you and the kiddos were able to avoid it!
When I get hit by something like this, I like Zupa’s Thai Lobster Curry … it’s nice and spicy, but really clears things up! Glad he’s all better and that you and the kiddos were able to avoid it!
bahahaaaa! I never remember to cut the carrots 🙂 Throw em in the pot and we’re good to go!
this is perfect for my sniffle-nose fiance right now. chopping carrots is just plain annoying to do so forgetting them is a blessing. 🙂
First of all, the site looks amazing!! I totally love it. And this soup – I don’t think my husband would touch it since he is not a fan of spicy at all, but I know I’d love it!
Looks delicious! Beautiful pictures by the way!
Delicious! Even though I love chicken noodle soup, I often find myself adding a few drops of hot sauce to it – and now I’m wondering why I just didn’t make it spicy in the first place! Great idea!
I am just a reader, not normally a commenter, but this time, I had to comment! I made the recipe exactly as written here. The flavor was soo good and SO SPICY! My hubby and I ate the entire pot over the course of a weekend, and as he is sweating and asking me what I put in this soup, he is also telling me “It’s good – I would eat it again!”. I will definitely make it again, but maybe cut back the red pepper flakes to 1 tsp. instead of 1.5 tsps.
As for the curing properties, I made it because I have terrible seasonal allergies and while it can’t cure them, it certainly made my nose open up which was a much needed relief.
By the way, for those who may not like ginger or think to put ginger in the soup, try it! It is part of the nasal relief. You cannot taste it specifically, but it adds to the flavor of the broth and it smells good while cooking.
This sounds lovely and really tasty. Thank you for sharing this.
Simon
Wow this soup was awesome! I made it tonight for my boyfriend that is sick and he loved it! Said it was some of the best soup he has ever had. My roommates also enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing!!
How much does it make?
IT serves about 4-5
I’m curious how soup would taste without the cream/milk .. they can cause mucus and I’d like to avoid them. Will it change the recipe too much though? Thanks!!
Could fresh ginger be subsituted? If so, how much would you recommend?
Yes!