Hey everyone! I’m really excited to be here today to talk to you about chicken and share one of my favorite chicken recipes. As I’m sure you all know, chicken is delicious, versatile, and relatively inexpensive, making it a great protein source for busy military families who don’t have a ton of extra money or time to spend on food. Chicken is a good source of vitamins B3 and B6, phosphorous, selenium, and it is high in protein.

Finding quality chicken is important though. Beyond the issues of inhumane treatment of chickens in factory farms, chickens coming from these farms are also far less nutritious than their pasture raised counterparts. Natural, free range, vegetarian fed, and even organic chicken is often not much better than plain ol’factory farmed chicken. Organic just means that they were fed organic chicken feed. Free range can mean they simply had access to outside, which could mean concrete and not even grass. Chickens are not vegetarians. When allowed to roam freely, they eat bugs in addition to grass and supplemental grain. Chicken fed its natural diet, in its natural environment will be the most nutritious for your family. These chickens provide the most nutritious eggs as well.

Pastured chicken can be somewhat difficult to find at regular grocery stores, and even at places like Whole Foods. Farmer’s markets and co-ops can be great places to connect with local farmers who raise pastured chickens. And typically when you buy a chicken from the farm you are getting the whole chicken, and not just the chicken breast. Chickens are not just breasts. They have thighs and wings and skin and bones and cartilage and a liver. Don’t be afraid of these less commonly used pieces. When you consume only one part of the animal, you are missing out on the flavor and nutrition found in other parts. Roast the whole chicken and save the meat to use in different recipes throughout the week, like this one I’m going to share with you. Then use the carcass, skin, and neck (and some chicken feet if you can get your hands on them) to make delicious, healing, nutrient dense bone broth. Save those chicken livers too and fry them up or blend them into a pate. Chicken liver is the richest source of natural folate so it’s especially beneficial for all you pregnant ladies or any of you who would like to great pregnant some day.

This Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup is a great way to use several parts of your whole chicken. Use the already cooked meat from your roasted chicken to shred and add to the soup, and use your homemade chicken broth to add an extra level of nutrition to the soup. Throw that together with some veggies and coconut milk and you’ve got one delicious soup! Using chicken and broth you’ve prepped ahead of time, as well as frozen veggies, will allow you to get dinner on the table in no time, giving you more time to spend with your family. I know as military spouses, time with family is especially valuable, so I always appreciate a recipe that won’t take me away from my hubby for hours.

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking fat (butter, ghee, coconut oil)
1 onion, diced
3-4 cups frozen veggies (peas, carrots, green beans, etc.)
2 celery stalks, diced
2-3 tablespoons arrowroot flour (depending on how thick you want it)
2 ½cups chicken broth, divided
1 can coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon savory (parsley works too)
½ teaspoon sage
3 cups shredded chicken

Instructions

Melt fat in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until translucent, about five minutes.
Add celery and frozen veggies and cook for 3-5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix arrowroot flour with ½ cup cold chicken broth until combined.
Pour arrowroot mixture over veggies and stir until combined.
Add coconut milk and remaining 2 cups broth.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until it thickens, about 10 minutes.
Add salt and spices, adding more to taste.
Add shredded chicken and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

To find a local farm or farmer’s market near you, go to Eat Wild and click on your state. For more on how to make bone broth, check out my eBook Butter Your Broth.