Chicken Soup Is Always A Favorite
Chicken soup is a favorite around the world and has been so for centuries. There are probably as many recipes as there are chicken soup cooks!
Making soup is one of the easiest cooking techniques, since all you need to do is make your chicken broth, chop some vegetables if you like, put in a few herbs, and add chicken. Soup requires little supervision while cooking. Paired with a salad and bread, you have a fine nutritious and inexpensive meal. There’s a bonus: little cleanup!
Chicken is one of the more healthful choices for the meat in your soup. It is higher in protein, but lower in fat than other meats. It’s also less expensive, and is easier to digest than heavier meats.
Chicken soup can be made as a simple broth, a bisque (a combination of tomatoes, or tomato soup and milk), or creamed. Chicken soup is a warm, comforting, and filling meal. Its one that most kids like!
You’ve probably heard of the famous chicken noodle soup cure for the cold, flu, or when recovering from any illness. Scientists have tried to nail down just why it works to get you better, but to date they haven’t determined exactly what the secret is!
For a properly recuperative chicken noodle soup, certain ingredients are always included. They are chicken, broth, noodles, garlic and parsley. Make the broth by simmering the chicken, bones, fat and all, in water for two to three hours, depending on the amount you are making. Skim any material that floats to the surface during the first hour or so. When the broth has achieved a nice deep color, remove the chicken, put it on a plate and let cool. In the meantime, add your noodles, garlic, parsley, and any other vegetables you like to the broth. Then remove the fat from the chicken and tear or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and put it back into the broth. The noodles and vegetables generally take only ten or fifteen minutes to cook, and you’re there!
Vegetables you say! Sure. With chicken’s mild flavor, chicken soup can be made with almost any vegetables. If you find your refrigerator packed with containers of left-over vegetables, put them in for a hearty chicken soup. Your family will love the soup and you’ll avoid wasting vegetables, you’ll save money and you’ll have more room in your frige. With rising food costs, a good chicken soup is a win-win meal.
Here are a few vegetable combinations you might try together. They go well with each other, and are visually appealing.
Celery, carrots, parsley and onion
Mushrooms, corn, and red bell pepper
Potatoes, peas, carrots and onion
Snow peas, water chestnuts, red bell pepper
Brocolli, mushrooms and onion
Either way, the purist’s chicken and noodles only, or the eclectic’s chicken, noodles and vegetables, chicken noodle soup will remain a mystery and a delight for ages to come.
Written by cora on March 20th, 2007 with
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