Chicken, lemon and broth are super nutritious ingredients for a winter soup, which is why this delicious lemony chicken and brown rice broth is a powerful immune-boosting recipe.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
5 cups chicken stock
Juice of 2 lemons
½ tsp lemon zest
1 bay leaf
2 chicken breasts
2 thyme sprigs
1½ cups cooked brown rice
1 cup Swiss chard, torn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
1 lemon, sliced
2 tbsp chopped dill

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the onion, carrots and celery for 5–7 minutes or until soft.
2. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Add the chicken and boil for 15 minutes until it is cooked through.
3. After 15 minutes, remove the soup from the heat and carefully take out the chicken, allowing it to cool before shredding it with a fork. Return the soup to the heat, add the thyme and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pot and add the brown rice and Swiss chard. Simmer for about 2 minutes until the Swiss chard has wilted and the rice is warmed through.
5. To serve, heat a pan on high heat, add the lemon slices and dry-fry for about 1 minute until they start to brown. Spoon the lemony chicken and brown rice broth into bowls and top with lemon slices and fresh dill.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Bone broth is another nutritious and gut-healing dish where you can use up your leftover meat bones.