Our Easy Healing Chicken Soup Is a Warm Hug in a Bowl

After a long day, nothing soothes the soul like a warm helping of chicken soup. You could just about call it the epitome of comfort—and when done right, it can also be uber-nourishing for your body.

We’ve got our own Healing Chicken Soup on our regular rotation, designed to not only deliver comfort but also revitalize and promote gut health by maximizing plant ingredients. Most of these, you likely already have in your fridge or pantry. Sure doesn’t hurt that it cooks in just half an hour—making it a perfect supper on a busy weeknight. Snuggle up with a bowl (or two!) and watch your stress melt away.

Here's an adapted recipe of our top-selling Healing Chicken Soup that you can easily do at home:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent. This should take about 5 minutes.

2. Add the carrots and celery and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Add the chicken, chicken broth, thyme, oregano, basil, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add the spinach and parsley to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

5. Serve hot and enjoy!

Follow @gomethodology for more easy recipes!

This No-Bake Peanut Butter Treat Keeps You Satisfied for Hours

Most of us don’t get enough protein. But it’s so important to fill up on the macronutrient—after all, it’s the building block of muscle, it can help you maintain bone mass, and it keeps you fuller for longer. 

Here’s an easy way to get your fill in between meals or for dessert—and it tastes just like the peanut butter cups of your childhood. We’ve adapted our popular Peanut Butter Cup Protein Balls into this easy, no-baked recipe. Just mix everything together, scoop into balls, and keep in your fridge for whenever the craving hits.

Here’s an easy recipe for protein balls, made nutty with peanut butter:

Ingredients:⁠

• 1/2 cup peanut butter⁠

• 1/4 cup almond milk⁠

• 1/4 cup honey⁠

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder⁠

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder⁠

• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed⁠

• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut⁠

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter, almond milk, and honey.⁠

2. Stir in the protein powder, cocoa powder, and ground flaxseed until well combined.⁠

3. Roll the mixture into balls and place them on a plate or in a container.⁠

4. Roll the balls in the shredded coconut until they are evenly coated.⁠

5. Refrigerate the balls for at least an hour before serving.⁠

6. Feel free to roll the balls in chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or additional cocoa powder for added flavor and texture!⁠

Recipe: Pan-seared cod

 

primary  micronutrients

A 4-ounce (113.4 grams) serving of Pacific cod contains over 15% of your daily recommended

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons avocado oil or grass-fed ghee
4 (8-oz.) skinless Pacific cod fillets, preferably wild
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
1 teaspoon minced thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
Grated lemon zest, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Season cod with salt, garlic and pepper. Let the cod marinate in the salt for at least 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil or ghee in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat. 

Place cod in skillet and cook until golden on one side, 3–4 minutes. Flip the fillets, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee, rosemary, and thyme. Continue to cook while basting continuously until fillets are cooked through, 2–3 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and plate your cod. Serve with grated lemon zest for garnish.

Transfer fillets to a plate; keep warm.

NUTRITION FACTS

This full recipe contains

1,318.8 calories

60.6 grams of fat

3.7 grams of cabrohydrates

189.7 grams of protein

0 grams of fiber

Recipe: Roasted fingerling potato with herbs

With the onset of the low-carb craze, everyone became afraid of potatoes. But you shouldn't fear starches! Sugar is the biggest problem related to over-carbsumption, and gluten-free, high-fiber starches are a clean source of energy. Just eat your potatoes in reasonable portion sizes, avoid potatoes that have been fried, and pair your potatoes with a lean protein so that you stay full longer.

primary micronutrients

A medium potato (173 grams) will give you over 15% of your daily recommended:

ingredients

2 pints fingerling potatoes

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh sage

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3 sprigs fresh thyme

6 cloves garlic, left unpeeled

1 tablespoon coconut oil, avocacdo oil or grass-fed ghee

Salt

Black pepper

 

instructions

Heat your oven to 425°F and place a rack in the middle.

Place the herbs, garlic, and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse until blended.

Put the fingerling potatoes in a baking dish and toss with oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and blended herbs. 

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, check the potatoes to see if they're cooked. They should be soft when you pierce them to the middle with a fork. If they aren't, bake them another 5-10 minutes.

Once your potatoes are done, remove the baking dish from the oven and allow your potatoes to cool in the pan before serving them. 

nutrition facts

The full recipe contains

1,452.8 calories

15.7 grams of fat

122.0 grams of carbohydrates

49.7 grams of protein

17.5 grams of fiber

Recipe: Spinach and mushroom egg white scramble

Egg whites are an excellent source of lean protein. They can taste bland on their own, however, so adding vegetables and herbs is very important in making them tastier AND healthier. Also equally important is making sure you don't overcook your egg whites. They should be soft and juicy, not firm and rubbery.

primary micronutrients

The most nutritious part of an egg is the yolk. But it can be hard to get enough protein if you're eating entire eggs (you'd end up eating a lot of fat and therefore calories for one meal); therefore this recipe calls for mostly egg whites.

The recipe below, with one egg yolk, contains over 15% of your recommended:

INGREDIENTS

200 grams of egg whites

1 egg yolk

50 grams of spinach, chopped

60 grams of mushrooms, chopped

30 grams of green onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (we like Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon grass-fed ghee, extra virgin olive oil, or extra virgin coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Place your ghee or oil in a pan and heat the pan to medium-high heat.

When the pan is hot, add your mushrooms and spinach to the pan and sautee for about 4-5 minutes. If the pan starts to become dry, add a little water to it.

When the spinach and mushrooms are just beginning to get soft, reduce the heat to low. Then add your egg whites to the pan. Then add your salt, green onion and black pepper. There's no need to stir the egg whites a lot. Stirring them too much breaks the eggs up too much. Just stir the eggs with a spatula occasionally to make sure they're cooking evenly. 

As soon as all your egg whites have turned from clear to white, they're cooked. Don't overcook them or they'll be rubbery. Remove the pan from the heat and serve warm. 

This recipe keeps well when made ahead of time. Store your egg white scramble in an air-tight container and reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

nutrition facts

This recipe contains

250.0 calories

10.2 grams of fat

4.9 grams of carbohydrates

27.9 grams of protein

6.8 grams of fiber

Recipe: steamed lemon broccoli

Broccoli and fresh-squeezed lemon juice are staples in the Methodology kitchen because they're delicious and offer many health benefits. Read about broccoli's health benefits, then learn how to perfectly steam broccoli and make it tasty. 

PRIMARY MICRONUTRIENTS

Eat 1 cup (156 grams) of broccoli and get over 15% of your daily recommended

 

Health Benefits

According to The World's Healthiest Foods:

Broccoli can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in broccoli do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they've been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it's easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw broccoli still has cholesterol-lowering ability—just not as much.

Broccoli has a strong, positive impact on our body's detoxification system, and researchers have recently identified one of the key reasons for this detox benefit. Glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin are 3 glucosinolate phytonutrients found in a special combination in broccoli. This dynamic trio is able to support all steps in body's detox process, including activation, neutralization, and elimination of unwanted contaminants. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are the detox-regulating molecules made from broccoli's glucosinolates, and they help control the detox process at a genetic level.

Broccoli may help us solve our vitamin D deficiency epidemic. When large supplemental doses of vitamin D are needed to offset deficiency, ample supplies of vitamin K and vitamin A help keep our vitamin D metabolism in balance. Broccoli has an unusually strong combination of both vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin K. For people faced with the need to rebuild vitamin D stores through vitamin D supplements, broccoli may be an ideal food to include in the diet.

Broccoli is a particularly rich source of a flavonoid called kaempferol. Recent research has shown the ability of kaempferol to lessen the impact of allergy-related substances on our body. This kaempferol connection helps to explain the unique anti-inflammatory benefits of broccoli, and it should also open the door to future research on the benefits of broccoli for a hypoallergenic diet.

Ingredients

1 pound of broccoli

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 lemons

seasoning salt (we love Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt)

Instructions

Chop your broccoli into individual florets.

Fill a pot with 1-2 inches of water and place your steamer basket inside. Place your broccoli inside the steamer basket and turn the stove on high. Cover your pot.

While you're waiting for the water to boil, place the juice of two lemons into a bowl. Add chopped garlic and salt to taste. Set this bowl aside.

After your water starts boiling, let your broccoli steam for 4-5 minutes. You'll see it turn a bright green color. Watch your broccoli closely after the first 3 minutes of steaming to make sure you don't overcook it.

When your broccoli is soft but not mushy, remove it from the steamer basket and place it in a bowl. Pour your lemon juice marinade on top and mix the broccoli with the marinade thoroughly. Add additional salt to taste, if needed.

NUTRITION INFO

1 pound of broccoli contains

1.7 grams of fat

18.3 grams of carbohydrates

12.8 grams of protein

11.8 grams of fiber

A 100-gram serving of broccoli contains

0.4 grams of fat

4.0 grams of carbohydrates

2.8 grams of protein

2.6 grams of fiber

Recipe: baked sweet potato mash

We love sweet potatoes in the Methodology kitchen. Sweet potatoes are

• naturally sweet without having to add any sugar
• packed with nutrients
• high in fiber relative to most other starches

Learn how to make delicious mashed sweet potatoes and add them to your clean recipe rotation.

PRIMARY MICRONUTRIENTS

Eat 200 grams of sweet potato and get over 15% of your daily recommended: 

 

Ingredients

4 pounds of sweet potatoes 
8 sprigs thyme, divided
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons of Saigon cinnamon

Instructions

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 20 minutes
EQUIPMENT: baking sheet, aluminum foil

If you have time, you can make your sweet potatoes even sweeter by pre-treating them in a water bath to activate their enzymes. To do this, use a sous vide-style circulator and set your circulator to 150°F. Place your sweet potatoes in the water bath and let it circulate for 2 to 4 hours before proceeding with the rest of this recipe. 

Adjust your oven rack to the center position and preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place two large sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Working one sheet of foil at a time, place half of your potatoes in the center of the foil along with 4 sprigs of thyme. Fold up your foil and crimp edges to seal the potatoes and thyme tightly inside. Repeat with another sheet of foil and the other half of your potatoes and thyme.

Leave your foiled potatoes on the baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Roast your potatoes until you can insert a skewer or fork into the potatoes with no resistance, about 2 hours. Then remove your potatoes from the oven and set them aside until they're cool enough to handle.

When your potatoes are cool enough to hold them, transfer them to a bowl and mash them with a whisk, fork or handheld mixer until they're smooth and fluffy. This will take 3-4 minutes.

Finally, season your potatoes to taste with Saigon cinnamon and salt. 

NUTRITION INFO

4 pounds (1,814 grams) of sweet potato contain

3.2 grams of fat 

375.6 grams of carbohydrates

36.6 grams of protein

60.5 grams of fiber

A 150-gram serving of sweet potato contains

0.3 grams of fat

31.1 grams of carbohydrates

3.0 grams of protein

5.0 grams of fiber

Recipe: Juicy five-spice chicken breast

primary micronutrients

Eat 4 ounces (113.4 grams) of skinless chicken breast and get over 15% of your daily recommended:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 large shallot, sliced

4 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

4 garlic cloves, pressed

2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

4 (6-ounce) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

 

Instructions

Create the marinade for the chicken breast. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade into a ziplock bag.

Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and put saran wrap on top. Pound the chicken breast with the bottom of a wide glass or jar until they're all evenly thick. This ensures the chicken breasts will cook evenly without overcooking or undercooking different pieces of it.

Add the chicken breasts to the marinade in the ziplock bag. Toss and thoroughly coat the chicken breasts in the marinade. Allow the chicken breasts to marinate in marinade in the ziplock bag for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight  in the refrigerator.

When you're ready to cook the chicken breasts, in a saute pan over medium heat, add the chicken breasts and cook for 1 minute without flipping them. Then turn the heat on low, flip the chicken breasts over, and cover the pan. Cook for 10 more minutes without lifting the lid of the pan at any time.

After 10 minutes have passed, remove the pan from the heat without taking the lid off the pan. Let the chicken breasts rest another 10 minutes in the covered pan so the juices don't escape.

After the chicken breasts have rested for 10 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the pan and place them on a cutting board. Slice the chicken breast lengthwise.

 

NUTRITION FACTS

The full recipe contains

62 grams of fat

7.5 grams of carbohydrates

343.4 grams of protein

0.5 grams of fiber