Overnight chicken soup for a savory AIP breakfast

Some mornings call for something warm and savory rather than a sweet plate, and this soup is built for exactly that. You set it in the slow cooker before bed, and by morning it has simmered into a bowl of tender chicken and rich broth that is ready before you are.

Chicken is a clean source of protein, and the long simmer draws collagen from the bones into the broth, a nutrient many people find easy on digestion first thing in the morning. A little avocado stirred in at the end adds a good fat that helps the meal carry you through the morning.

There is a real satisfaction in using the whole bird this way. The meat feeds you now, and the bones can go back into your next pot of broth. Nothing here is wasted, and a simple bowl of soup becomes a small daily ritual worth looking forward to.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 2.5 quarts water, bone broth, or chicken stock
• sea salt to taste

To finish each bowl:

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
• 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
• 1/2 avocado, sliced or cubed

Method

Put the whole chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker and pour in enough water, broth, or stock to cover it, about 2.5 quarts.

Cook on low overnight, roughly 10 hours, until the meat is tender and falls from the bone.

Lift the chicken out, pull the meat off the bones, and return the meat to the pot. Save the bones in the freezer for a future broth batch. Season the soup with sea salt to taste.

Ladle into bowls and finish each one just before serving with fresh cilantro or parsley, scallions, and avocado. A spoonful of sauerkraut on top adds tang and a fermented food if you like.

Instant Pot variation

The Instant Pot turns the overnight cook into a single morning. Slow-cook setting: set it to the low slow-cook function and run it the same roughly 10 hours as the slow cooker. Faster high-pressure conversion: add the chicken and 2.5 quarts of liquid, staying below the max-fill line, seal, and cook on high pressure for about 25 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the bird, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 to 15 minutes before opening. Pull the meat and finish the bowls the same way. Treat the pressure time as a starting point and confirm the meat pulls cleanly (untested estimate, verify).

Stovetop variation

On the stove, bring the chicken and liquid to a boil, then drop to the lowest steady simmer with the lid ajar and cook 2 to 3 hours until the meat falls off the bone, topping up the liquid as needed and skimming any foam early on. It suits a day you are home.

*Adapted from a-squirrel-in-the-kitchen*