Golden Turmeric Chicken Soup (Print version)

Golden chicken soup with turmeric, ginger, and warming spices. Anti-inflammatory and nourishing comfort bowl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
07 - 1 small zucchini, diced
08 - 3.5 oz baby spinach (about 2 cups, packed)

→ Spices & Seasonings

09 - 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
10 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
11 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
13 - 1 teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste)

→ Liquids

14 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - Juice of ½ lemon

→ Herbs

17 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped (for garnish)

# How to Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the diced chicken and cook for 2–3 minutes until the pieces turn opaque.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
05 - Add zucchini and simmer for another 5 minutes.
06 - Stir in spinach and cook for 2 more minutes until wilted. Squeeze in lemon juice and season with salt (and chili flakes, if using).
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like someone's looking after you without any of the heaviness that comfort food usually brings.
  • The turmeric does real work—anti-inflammatory and packed with benefits you can actually feel building up over time.
  • Ready in under an hour, which means you can have this on the table before you've convinced yourself you don't have time to cook.
02 -
  • Turmeric stains everything—your hands, your cutting board, that white shirt you're wearing—so treat it like you're handling something precious and slightly dangerous.
  • Don't skip the lemon juice at the end; it's not decoration, it's the moment everything clicks into place and tastes like it should.
  • Low-sodium broth is important because turmeric can make salt taste sharper, and you want to season carefully so nothing tastes metallic or harsh.
03 -
  • Grate fresh ginger on a microplane instead of mincing it—it releases more juice and flavor, and dissolves more gracefully into the broth.
  • Toast your spices in the warm oil before adding liquid; it's a small move that separates good soup from soup that tastes like you just threw ingredients together.
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