Chicken Soup For The Soul + Life's Simple Pleasures
After a few days of being knocked down, I got up again. Name that 90's song and I'LL KISS YOU!
Soup has to be one of my favorite meals on this planet. From tomato to Manhattan clam chowder, lentil, broccoli, miso, minestrone, ribolita, split pea, butternut, carrot, cauliflower ... chicken. You name it, I'll slurp it. I'm kidding, I don't slurp it's a horrible habit. Growing up with 7 men, eating soup was like sitting in the middle of a live orchestra on a cold night ... slurp, yell, pass the parm, slurp, pass the pepper, yell, slurp. I'm sure you get it.
After 4 days alone and quarantined in my apartment, I've been living on homemade chicken soup. It's times like these I know I'll get by because there's always stock in my home to make something. No desperate soup orders for this woman, only the finest thighs from the back of the freezer.
The simplicity of a bowl of soup is comfort, ease and happiness and it does the same thing for me when I'm sick - minus hugs from my mom.
Keep this recipe in your back pocket for a sick day, a cold night, a warm evening in of cuddling and wine - now I'm getting all mushy. Load it with veggies and herbs for healing health and a happy palate, it's worth the chopping. And if you don't want to chop, buy the pre-cut, you won't regret making this and serving it with a mountain of salty pecorino snow on top.
And don't wait til you're sick. Making a pot of soup a week has been my key to weeknight meal success when working long days and late hours. A trusty soup will never let you down.
More to come from the freezer files, there's still a decent amount of winter left ahead. And hopefully, I won't be sick.
XO
Quick + Basic Chicken Soup
- 4 thighs, bone in + skin on
- 1 lb carrots, peeled + cut into rounds
- 5 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- Mixed herb sprigs (thyme, oregano, rosemary), tied together with kitchen string
- Fresh chopped basil leaves
- Fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Freshly ground pepper
- Salt to taste
*If you need extra punch, you can add a bullion cube or two at the end
*I find this works for me with enough salt, herbs + heap of pecorino upon serving
*Growing up we wouldn’t dare have chicken soup without some sort of grated cheese
- Place all ingredients in a large stock pot
- Cover with water
- Cook on a low simmer until chicken is tender/looks to be falling off of the bone
- Remove chicken, shred, add back to pot
- Serve (with lots of cheese)