I decided to study holistic nutrition so I could understand food in a whole new way.
You see, I was tired of looking at my plate and seeing food in terms of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Although it’s great to have some knowledge on what types of macronutrients make up your food choices, I wanted to understand food in a different way. I wanted to learn about it at a deeper level and that’s exactly what my studies through holistic nutrition school offered me.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all food contains different types of energy and I created this recipe for Qi Building Chicken & Shiitake Mushroom Soup to be particularly rich in the energy needed to build Qi within our body.
Qi is our available energy and when Qi is deficient, our body will end up under-functioning in some way. It will depend how that shows up based on the individual, but an example may be under-functioning hormones/reproductive system or an under-functioning immune system.
The reason I use those two body systems as my examples is because the majority of the women I work one on one with do struggle with hormonal imbalance or an under-functioning reproductive system. Additionally, as we transition from summer to fall, many of us will also likely experience an under-functioning immune system if we do not nourish our bodies properly and fully.
To support your body in functioning optimally, you must choose foods that specifically build Qi within the body. Bone broth, chicken, and shiitake mushrooms all are great foods choices when aiming to build Qi or address Qi deficiency.
I’ve been absolutely loving this soup lately! It’s so comforting, but so simple to make!
As with most of my soup recipes, I use leftover protein that I have on hand, but feel free to prepare some for this soup if you do not have any on hand.
I have been enjoying a big bowl of this soup along side a slice of flaxseed bread topped with mashed avocado, sea salt, and sesame oil drizzled on top!
- 1.5 cups bone broth (I use Osso Good Spicy Pork or Chicken bone broth)
- 1 cup leftover roasted cauliflower rice
- 8 – 10 shiitake mushrooms, halved or left whole
- 1 portion leftover chicken breast or thigh meat, chopped
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- In a pot, place broth, cauliflower rice, mushrooms, chicken, and coconut aminos over medium heat, cover, and bring to simmer. Season with sea salt to achieve desired taste preference.
- Once hot, remove from heat and transfer to your serving bowl.
- Top with green onion and sesame oil before serving.
