As winter’s chill grips the UK, the familiar wave of coughs, colds, and sniffles returns, leaving many Brits in search of remedies to combat the season’s ailments. If you find yourself feeling unwell and yearning for warmth and nourishment, we have just the remedy for you.

Nutritionist Emily English, at 30 years old, has taken to Instagram to reveal her cherished recipe for what she calls the “heal me chicken soup.” Despite containing just 400 calories, Emily emphasizes that this soup is rich in essential vitamins C and A, thanks to its generous inclusion of vegetables and herbs.

In her post, Emily shared, “There is nothing more healing than a really good chicken soup. This recipe will lift your spirits, provide your body with the nourishment it needs, and leave you feeling warm and comforted.”

She added, “When you’re feeling run-down, just back from traveling, or facing the onset of cold season, this is the pot to have simmering. It’s packed with vitamins A & C and antioxidants from an abundance of veggies and herbs, making it easy to digest and soothing.”

For those eager to recreate Emily’s comforting dish, she suggests gathering the following ingredients for four servings:

• Two chicken stock cubes dissolved into 2.5L boiling water
• One small sprig of rosemary
• Brown rice 150g
• One lemon (zest and juice)
• Two eggs
• Cooked roasted chicken, 320–400g
• Shredded one tablespoon each of chopped dill and parsley
• Two carrots
• Diced 200g diced butternut squash
• Two sticks of celery
• One large diced onion, finely chopped
• A handful of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• One teaspoon of ginger paste
• Two garlic cloves, minced

Begin by warming a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, butternut squash, and celery, seasoning them with a pinch of salt. Allow the mixture to cook gently for about five minutes before adding mushrooms to the pan.

After the mushrooms have become tender, fold in the rosemary, garlic, ginger, and rice. Continue cooking for several more minutes before pouring in two litres of heated stock and bringing the mixture to a gentle bubble.

Emily’s tutorial continued: “Cook for 20 minutes with a lid on, stirring occasionally, topping up with reserved stock as needed to keep it soupy. Stir in the shredded chicken and lemon zest and simmer for five minutes or until the rice is cooked, then remove the rosemary and turn the heat to low.

“In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the lemon juice, then slowly whisk in a ladle or two of hot broth to temper. Gradually stir this back into the pot, stirring constantly until the soup turns silky.”

At this stage, Emily said you can switch off the heat and add salt and pepper according to preference. Fresh parsley and dill ought to be added at the end before serving the soup piping hot.

Following the posting of her cooking demonstration this week, Emily has been inundated with responses from followers keen to recreate the dish at home. One person wrote: “Oh my goodness, this looks SO delish,” as another wrote: “Saved for winter.”

Meanwhile, someone else said: “Cold-season comfort in a bowl. We’re saving this for our next recovery day.”

If you’d like to learn more about Emily’s recipes, visit her Instagram page here. The nutritionist has also published a recipe book called ‘So Good’, which is available here.