January 15, 2026

golden chicken soup with turmeric and lemon

ok it feels like everyone is sick. i can’t step into the gym or the grocery store without hearing a symphony of coughs or people blowing their nose. i think they’re saying that this is one of the worst flu seasons we’ve had in the last decade and i’m doing exactly what my mom would do — making foods that are going to help build up my immune system with all these germs floating around, like this golden turmeric and lemon chicken soup!

while this soup generally just has a lot of nutrition with the chicken thighs, broth, and vegetables, a few key ingredients not only give this soup tons of flavor, but also give your immune system a little oomph!

  • garlic + ginger: for immune-support and anti-inflammatory properties
  • turmeric + black pepper: turmeric bring anti-inflammatory benefits and antioxidants, and the black pepper helps your body absorb it better
  • lemon juice: adds vitamin c!

i used (serves ~2-3):

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3 slices fresh ginger
  • 2 medium carrots, diced(i crinkle-cut them for fun)
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup dried pastina (read: any type of tiny pasta), cooked to al dente and rinsed (i used jovial’s gf brown rice stelline)
  • juice of 2 lemons (~4-5 tbsp)
  • salt
  • black pepper

to make:

  1. start by cooking the pastina to al dente, drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking
  2. heat up some neutral oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat
  3. add in the onion and cook with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, ~3-4 minutes
  4. stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, then add in the turmeric and a few cracks of black pepper. stir constantly for ~30-60 seconds to bloom the spices
  5. add in the carrots and celery with a pinch of salt, then sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften
  6. add in the chicken thighs, bay leaf, and cover with 5 cups of water
  7. cover and bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer. cook until chicken is fully cooked ~20 minutes. as it’s cooking, you can also skim off any scum/foam that rises to the top
  8. remove the bay leaf and ginger slices, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
  9. bring the soup back to a gentle simmer, then stir in the spinach and cooked pastina, simmer until spinach is wilted
  10. turn off the heat and finish with lemon juice. taste and season with salt and more pepper as needed

a note on the pastina: you could cook the pastina directly in the soup, but it releases a lot of starch and soaks up broth as it sits. you’ll likely need to add more water, and the flavor gets a little muted. as much as i hate dirtying another pot, i recommend cooking separately!

Golden Chicken Soup with Turmeric and Lemon

this golden turmeric and lemon chicken soup is full of anti-inflammatory ingredients, whole-food nutrients, and bright lemon for immune support.
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Servings 3

Ingredients
  

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 3 slices fresh ginger
  • 2 medium carrots diced(i crinkle-cut them for fun)
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup dried pastina read: any type of tiny pasta, cooked to al dente and rinsed (i used jovial’s gf brown rice stelline)
  • juice of 2 lemons ~5 tbsp
  • salt
  • black pepper

Instructions
 

  • start by cooking the pastina to al dente, drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking
  • heat up some neutral oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat
  • add in the onion and cook with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, ~3-4 minutes
  • stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, then add in the turmeric and a few cracks of black pepper. stir constantly for ~30-60 seconds to bloom the spices
  • add in the carrots and celery with a pinch of salt, then sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften
  • add in the chicken thighs, bay leaf, and cover with 5 cups of water
  • cover and bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer. cook until chicken is fully cooked ~20 minutes. as it’s cooking, you can also skim off any scum/foam that rises to the top
  • remove the bay leaf and ginger slices, shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
  • bring the soup back to a gentle simmer, then stir in the spinach and cooked pastina, simmer until spinach is wilted
  • turn off the heat and finish with lemon juice. taste and season with salt and more pepper as needed

Notes

you could cook the pastina directly in the soup, but it releases a lot of starch and soaks up broth as it sits. you’ll likely need to add more water, and the flavor gets a little muted. as much as i hate dirtying another pot, i recommend cooking separately!