Immune Boosting Chicken Stock

This is a great chicken stock to add to your repertoire. If you already know how to make homemade chicken stock, then all you have to do is add a few more ingredients to make this stock immune enhancing. You can follow the recipe at Rouxbe Online Cooking School. I’ve been making chicken stock for years so I don’t need to measure anything. But once you get used to making your own, you don’t need to measure anything as well. I normally use about 1 gallon or so of water for the stock and I adjusted the ingredients accordingly.

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For this immune boosting chicken stock, I added some ginger, astragalus root (huang qi), angelica sinensis (dang qui), Korean ginseng, goji berries and some fresh mushroom stems. But sometimes I do add dried Chinese mushrooms. There are other herbs that you can add but the following list is what I have at home.

Ginger



This is one of the sexiest ingredients available. It is warming and helps invigorate energy flow to the stomach. It is good for common cold, nausea, stomach pain, arthritis and cough. If you’re feeling under the weather and you have poor blood circulation, ginger is the answer.

Ginseng



These are Korean ginseng brought by my future sister-in-law. Ginseng is a nutritive tonic. It is great in neutralizing the effects of free radicals during periods of stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. They are also warming to the body and they are best combined with other herbs.

Astragalus Root (Huang Qi)



It is good for general weakness and poor immunity. This also benefits weak patients with immune disorders, leukemia, chronic illness or non-healing sore or general debility. It is also great with fatigue, diarrhea, and loss of appetite, frequent colds or diabetes.

Angelica Sinensis (Dang Qui)



They look different all the time every time I purchase them. One thing you need to remember about this herb is that it is excellent in toning the female organs and systems. They are good for irregular menses, menstrual anemia, cramps and constipation. You need to take this if you are experiencing problems with menopause. This herb is also available in capsules.

Dried Mushrooms



There are many dried mushrooms available to choose from. But in general, dried mushrooms are excellent in supporting the immune system by increasing natural killer cells (NK cells, part of the immune system). It contains a compound called lentinan which mobilizes our natural defenses and protects the body by lowering toxins created from overly acidic diets.

Goji Berries (aka Chinese Wolfberry; gou qizi, lyceum fruit)



There are innumerable benefits of this red berry. But what I remember the most is that they are really good in brightening the eyes and moistening the lungs. They are also great for back and leg soreness, weakness and diabetes. If you have anything related to eye problems, goji berries can do something about that.



The amount of each ingredient will depend on how strong you want the stock. These ingredients are more potent when they are combined together instead of steeping them individually. The result is a much flavorful chicken stock with an increased umami taste. You may not use this stock to make Minestrone or French Onion Soup, but you can use this with different noodles and other Asian ingredients.

You can use these same ingredients to make chicken broth which is made from whole or pieces of chicken which is what my late-father normally does most especially when we’re sick. Homemade chicken broth has been appreciated for its soothing and healing qualities when it comes to the common cold and flu. The chicken (preferably organic) contains cysteine, an amino acid which is release when you make the stock/broth which helps in thinning the mucus in the lungs that aids in the healing process.

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To make this immune building chicken stock or broth, retain the carrots, onions and celery (mirepoix) and remove the thyme, parsley, black peppercorns and bay leaf. I added the herbs the same time as I added the mirepoix. Then, 30 minutes before straining, I added about 1 tablespoon of goji berries(just enough to add sweetness). I also removed the ginseng, cut it into pieces and put it back into the stock to release their flavor.

Start eating healthier by making your own chicken stock and you'll reap the benefits. You can purchase some of the herbs (Astragalus Root; Angelica Sinensis) at Chinese/Asian drug/grocery stores. The others are found at your health food shops.

Follow this basic chicken stock and chicken broth text recipes at Rouxbe Online Cooking School and start making your own immune boosting chicken stock/broth.