Chicken soup for my family, is the real saviour in case of illness, feeling a bit low in body and spirit and, as I did today for my son Daniel who just flew in from San Francisco, to fight those nasty bugs you tend to pick up on long flights.
It is real comfort food, so easy to make and you have a ready meal for a few days in a row.
Of course you can add any other vegetables that you like.

• one organic chicken
• 1 large onion
• 3 large carrots
• 4 to 5 celery stalks
• 4 parsnips
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 chili
• 1 piece of ginger
• 1 piece of fresh turmeric
• half a butternut pumpkin
• fresh herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary and bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

• cut the vegetables into bite size pieces

• fill a large pot with cold water
• add the chicken plus all the vegetables
• cover the pot and let it simmer very gently for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours

I like to serve the chicken soup with freshly chopped Italian parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The next day just re boil the soup and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. You can add a little more water if you like.