This is my own recipe for chicken soup that I put together when my tropically-acclimated husband moved north of the border and caught every bug that came along. It’ll cure what ails ya!
The key to making chicken soup that is tasty and appealing is the timing for putting in the vegetables. Add them in the right order and at the time and they will retain their appealing color and just the right amount of crispness.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 onion, diced
- Olive oil for frying
- Two cartons of Pacifica brand chicken broth (this brand is from the healthy hippie-type grocery store; you can substitute a comparable brand containing no MSG)
- One bay leaf
- Dried parsley to taste
- Four chicken thighs
- Two chicken breasts or four breast filets
- Two russet potatoes, unpeeled, well scrubbed, and diced
- Two carrots, unpeeled, well scrubbed, and diced
- Two celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Directions:
- In the bottom of a large heavy stockpot, heat olive oil over high heat.
- Add diced onion, and stir until onion becomes translucent.
- Taking care to avoid being burned by the steam, add the chicken broth, then the bay leaf and parsley. Heat, covered, until boiling.
- Add chicken. Boil until chicken is cooked through.
- Add potatoes.
- When potato peels just begin to loosen from the potatoes, add the carrots. Boil five minutes. Add celery. Boil two minutes.
- Add peas and turn off heat.
Note: I do not call for salt in this recipe as most broths have plenty. Do not add any salt until the soup is done; then taste it first to see if adding salt is necessary.
Serve hot, with panini, grilled cheese sandwiches, or cheese toast. This recipe tastes great the next day, too.
Yield: 6–8 servings
Photo courtesy of floydthefoodguy.com
