Chicken Minestrone Soup - AIP elimination compliant

Minestrone without the pasta, the beans, or the tomatoes. What remains is something richer and more honest than the original - a deeply colored broth full of root vegetables and chicken that happens to be exactly what the AIP elimination phase calls for. The cranberries are not an accident: they carry the slight tartness that tomatoes usually provide, and they bring their own polyphenols into the bowl.

Beets and sweet potato bring folate, potassium, and vitamin C - nutrients involved in cellular energy and the normal function of the immune system. The combination of root vegetables here also provides a range of prebiotic fibers that support microbial diversity in the gut, which is closely linked to how the immune system learns to regulate itself.

Make a large pot on Sunday and you have lunch for most of the week. Reheat slowly, add a little broth if it thickens, and serve with something green on the side.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
• 1/2 of a red onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1/2 of a medium beet, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup peeled and chopped acorn squash pieces
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 small turnip, cubed
• 10-12 cranberries, fresh or frozen (AIP swap: replaces tomatoes for tartness and color)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (omitted - excluded on AIP: nightshade)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (omitted - excluded on AIP: seed spice)
• 1.5 lbs chicken, thighs or breast meat, cut into large pieces
• 6 cups water
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch dissolved in 1/2 cup water
• sea salt to taste

Note: this recipe is already tomato-free, pasta-free, and bean-free. The two omissions above (chili powder and cumin) are the only changes needed for AIP.

Method

Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the oil and let it warm for a moment. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add the carrot, beet, acorn squash, sweet potato, and turnip and stir to coat everything in the oil.

Add the chicken pieces, cranberries, sea salt, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Pour in the 6 cups of water. Stir once to combine. Cancel the saute function.

Seal the lid and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.

Open the lid and remove the chicken pieces to a plate or cutting board. Shred the chicken using two forks and return the shredded meat to the pot.

Set the Instant Pot back to saute. Stir the arrowroot and water together in a small bowl until fully dissolved, then pour the slurry slowly into the simmering soup while stirring. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the broth thickens slightly. Taste and adjust salt.

Serve hot. The soup thickens further as it sits - add a splash of water when reheating.

Slow Cooker Variation

Layer all vegetables, chicken, cranberries, herbs, salt, and water in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove chicken, shred, and return to the pot. Stir in the arrowroot slurry, set to high, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until the broth thickens slightly.

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*Adapted from cook2nourish.com*

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*Provenance: method rebuilt in ARM's own words from source file aip-source-archives/cook2nourish/chicken-minestrone-soup.md. Ingredient list used as factual reference. No third-party text reproduced.*