Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This soup delivers everything comfort food promises, the warm bowl that says everything is going to be all right, built entirely from whole foods. Asparagus stands in for the peas, the bowl stands in for the crust, and coconut milk does the work cream used to do. It is real nourishment that tastes like exactly what you want to eat.

There is real medicine in this pot. The chicken is a lean source of protein and B vitamins, and a homemade or clean chicken broth brings glycine and collagen that give the gut lining raw materials to mend. The carrots and celery add fiber and beta-carotene, a building block for vitamin A, which is involved in immune and mucosal health. A calmer gut barrier is part of settling an immune system that has been on high alert, and this is gentle, nourishing work toward that.

This makes a generous pot, enough to freeze for the days when cooking feels like too much. When you ladle it out, let the bowl be beautiful, the orange of the carrots and the green of the asparagus in the pale broth. Take a breath over it before the first spoonful. The few minutes of reverence are not separate from the healing.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 small onion, diced (omit for interstitial cystitis)
• 1 pound chicken breast, chopped
• 8 small carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage

This recipe is already AIP-compliant as the source writes it, including the canned coconut milk that replaces the dairy. Nothing needs to be swapped out. The source notes you can stir in a few tablespoons of arrowroot starch near the end if you want a thicker, more pot-pie texture, which is an AIP-friendly option.

Method

• Warm the coconut oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and soften it for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the chopped chicken and sear it for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
• Add the carrots, celery, and asparagus and cook 5 minutes more.
• Pour in the broth and coconut milk, add the parsley, thyme, salt, and sage, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Instant Pot variation

Use saute to soften the onion and sear the chicken right in the pot, then add the vegetables, broth, and seasonings. Per the source comments, pressure cook on high for about 15 minutes if you add the chicken in larger pieces, or closer to 10 minutes high pressure with the vegetables in, then quick-release. Stir the coconut milk in at the end so it stays smooth rather than splitting. Confirm these times in your own pot.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*