Reprinted with permission from www.nourishingmeals.com. Photos by Alissa Segersten.

Look for fresh turmeric in the produce section at the Co-op (available seasonally).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons turmeric powder
• ½ cup (heaping) very finely chopped fresh turmeric
• ¼ cup (heaping) very finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 large onion, chopped (leave the skins on)
• 3 to 3 ½ pounds organic chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• handful fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 tablespoon herbed sea salt or plain sea salt
• 16 cups water
• 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

METHOD

1. Heat a 9-quart heavy stock pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Then add the dried turmeric, fresh turmeric, and ginger. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the onion (and the onions skins for a deeper colored stock) and sauté a few minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and bring to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour.
2. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the chicken thighs and place them onto a plate to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Then return the bones and skin to the pot of simmering stock, cover, and simmer on low heat for an additional 2 to 3 hours or longer.
3. Then strain through a fine mesh strainer into another large pot or bowl. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Ladle some of the broth into wide-mouth quart jars and refrigerate. Serve the rest of the broth with the cooked chicken, cooked rice noodles, chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, and green onions. Or add your favorite vegetables (like thinly sliced kale or collard greens, diced carrots, onions, and zucchini) and cooked lentils or mung beans. Add in some leftover cooked brown rice or quinoa too if you have it. There are so many ways to use turmeric broth. Get creative!

Variation: Use a whole 3 1/2 pound chicken in place of the thighs if desired. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours at first (instead of one hour), then remove the chicken from the broth, remove the meat from the bones and place the bones and skin back into the pot and continue to cook for 2 to 3 more hours or longer.

Notes: Leave the skins on your fresh turmeric and ginger for this recipe: no need to peel them! The rice noodles pictured here are a Thai rice noodle that just needs to be soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes before using (no cooking required). I usually keep a few packs in my pantry for quick Pad Thai dinners or quick curry-noodle soups.

Warning: This soup will temporarily stain your children’s faces yellow (around their mouths and chin if they are slurping their soup), and it will permanently stain clothes, tablecloths, light-colored cloth napkins, and everything it comes into contact with. It is that potent.

In general, disease is caused by getting too many things that you don’t need (inflammation, stress, toxins, infections, allergens), and too little of the things that you do need (antioxidants, relaxation, exercise, healthy foods, proper nutrients).

Turmeric contains beneficial polyphenol chemicals called curcuminoids. The magic of curcumin is that it shuts down, or dampens, the primary inflammatory switch in the body making it one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatory substances.

Research has also demonstrated that curucmin can help combat various infections that can lead to inflammation in the first place. It also signals our cells to make more antioxidants and hundreds of beneficial detoxification proteins to remove harmful toxins from our cells.

Turmeric is best mixed or cooked with fat to get its full benefit. This is one of the ways turmeric has been traditionally used in India. Spices are always sautéed first in
fat (often ghee) before being used in recipes. This not only allows for the absorption of the beneficial polyphenols, but it also brings out the flavors in the spices.

Turmeric is amazing, isn’t it?

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She is the founder of Whole Life Nutrition and Nourishing Meals, the mother of five children, a whole-foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author.

She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them, and offers elimination diet recipes, healthy gluten-free recipes, and paleo and vegan recipes, as well as tips for feeding your family a nourishing, whole-foods diet.

Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole-foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book.

Learn more at nourishingmeals.com.