by AMANDA CLOUSE

Tis the season. You know the one. The one where communal bugs make their way from one household to the next, spreading snotty noses and misery.  Ah, what fun it is…not!

It’s a great idea to give your health a little more attention during the winter months. A hot, steamy bowl of penicillin soup can be just what your body needs to help battle those pesky germs.

Sometimes called antibiotic soup, natural penicillin, or Mother Nature’s penicillin, many cultures have used and staked claim on this medicinal culinary masterpiece. It’s actually kind of funny to see just how many different cultures have their own unique interpretations of it.

But most of us will humbly know it as homemade chicken soup! However, this is no ordinary chicken soup. This antibiotic chicken soup recipe is packed with enough vitamins and minerals to not only cure a cold but maybe even keep you from catching one to begin with! In this version, we take a little extra time to make it extra special.

Instead of using traditional chicken stock, we opt for a mineral and collagen-rich bone broth. It adds a depth of flavor and a nourishing virtue to the soup. This version is rich, flavorful, and brothy with a hint of heft from the turmeric and black pepper.

Bone broth is superior to chicken broth from a nutrition standpoint. Its prized for its high protein content, collagen, and electrolytes, as well as a variety of vitamins.

It contains a lot more of these nutrients compared to chicken broth. The chicken broth will work, but it won’t have the same concentration of nutrients.

Penicillin vs. Antibiotic Chicken Soup

Penicillin works by destroying germs within the body and preventing their spread. The issue with penicillin is that it is an antibiotic, which means that it can cause both antibiotic resistance and altered forms of these bacteria.

Taking antibiotics comes along with the risk of dampening your body’s natural immune responses and should only be used when necessary. You’re much better off supporting the body’s natural immune process whenever possible.

Penicillin soup is a great alternative to antibiotics, and the best part… it’s food! In other words, anyone is able to eat it and enjoy the benefits.

For this recipe, I chose herbs that display similar medicinal attributes to antibiotics.

⇒ Antibiotic Herbs and Plants to Grow in Your Backyard Before SHTF

For example:

Thyme – Studies demonstrate that thyme is one of the best herbs for its antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

Black Pepper – It is both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.  It’s also great for helping other nutrients absorb and for reliving pain, cough and congestion.

Sage – It is a potent natural antibacterial and antiviral agent even against stronger microbial strains.  It’s also anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich.

Turmeric – It is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pain reliever.

Garlic – It is super antimicrobial even against strong viruses and bacteria like strep, staph, and e. coli and is also an antitoxin.

Some of the vegetables we will be using have vitamins that can assist the body in repair, like the beta carotene in carrots and specific salts in celery that can help you stay hydrated. Celery is also antimicrobial.

The first step in this version of antibiotic soup is to make bone broth. Bone broth takes some time, but it’s easy to make.

How to Make Bone Broth

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add the chicken to a Dutch oven and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Let it cook in the Dutch over until the skin and meat begin pulling away from the bone (about 3 hours.)
4. Take the chicken out of the oven and let it cool completely.
5. Remove all of the meat from the chicken and store it for when you are ready to make soup.
6. Place the bones along with ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar into a crock pot and fill with water.
7. Cook on high anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days. I cook until the bones easily crunch between my fingers (about 3 days) and then use them to add to animal feed. Make sure you watch and add water if it gets too low.

Since making bone broth takes a few hours at least, it’s best if you can it using this recipe. This way, it will last you for at least a few years.

Homemade Penicillin Soup Recipe

For this recipe you will need:

• 8 cups of bone broth
• 2 cups of cooked chicken diced into bite-size pieces
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup of protein-rich noodles
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic (about 5-6 cloves)
• ¼ teaspoon of ground dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 4 teaspoons of mineral sea salt

Step 1. Add the carrots, celery, and onions to a medium-sized pot. Add enough bone broth to cover the vegetables completely and cook on medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Then, turn your heat down to medium-low and let it simmer.

Step 2. Add the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, black pepper, and rosemary. Continue to simmer until the vegetables become soft- about 30 minutes.

Step 3. Add the noodles and the turmeric and cook for 10–15 minutes or until done.

Step 4. Add the already-cooked chicken. Remove from heat and sit for 5–10 minutes before scooping into bowls.

If you want to give your soup a little extra nutritional punch, try adding adaptogenic mushroom powders if you have them on hand.

Add a scoop of reishi, chaga, or even turkey tail mushroom powder to your soup any time during the cooking process.

Adaptogens are fantastic for the immune system, in addition to helping our bodies restore balance and manage stress.