Healing Foods

Sunday afternoon I came down with a summer cold, probably allergy induced from being in an outdoor facility a good portion of Saturday for my mother in laws birthday party. So after feeling pitiful for a day, I decided to go to my old stand by for a cold... chicken soup. I know there are conflicting reports as to the effectiveness of chicken soup to heal, but to me it's also about the "I'm sick and I want my  mommy" feeling. While chicken soup is not a substitute for my mommy, it is a tried and true comfort food. So, since my  mother lives in Portland Oregon and I live in Ohio, I made soup.

I was out of chicken breasts, which is what I prefer to use, so I used chicken leg quarters. This makes the soup a little fattier, so you'll have to skim off the fat after boiling the chicken. This is a step you can pretty much cut out if you use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Keep in mind that the fat does add more flavor to the broth though...




Healing Chicken Soup


Boil 2 or 3 chicken breasts until tender and cooked through.
Remove from the broth and let cool slightly.

While the chicken is cooking, chop:
2 ribs celery, including tops (I usually save the center of the celery for soups)
1 or 2 carrots
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic

Add the vegetables to the stock pot and bring to a boil while you cut up the meat into bite sized pieces.
Add water to make at least 6 cups of broth (depending on how big of a pot you want to make)


Add:
2 TBL chicken base (I like the brand "Better Than Bullion"- they make the best chicken and vegetable base and even have a vegetarian version that is awesome)
2 TBL parsley
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt (I like Eden brand French or Celtic Sea Salt)
Pinch of dill weed

Simmer for about 15 minutes or until veggies are just barely tender.
Add 2 cups pasta of your choice (I like Rotini, that fun swirly pasta)
Cook an additional 6 -9 minutes or until pasta is cooked but still firm.
Before serving, to deep the flavor add a little soy sauce to taste.

I don't know if it's the onions and garlic combined with the flavorful broth is what makes the magic happen, but I always feel better after having a bowl of chicken soup. Even if I don't have my mommy....

So when a cold hits you, savor a bowl of chicken soup, then snuggle on the couch with a cup of tea and call your mommy. I guarantee you'll feel better by the time you hang up.