Baby it's cold outside...it's a good night for some Chicken Soup!
Brrrrrr.....We started off the week in the upper 60's and today it was a whopping 28 degrees!!! My toes were made for flip flops...LoL....I can't take this cold weather! But with a cold, winter day comes a good old-fashioned bowl of Chicken Soup.
When I was younger, I used to buy a whole chicken, stick it in a huge bowl of water and sprinkle the whole thing with salt and let it stand for a while. Now I kind of made it easier on myself and I started using skinless, boneless chicken breasts instead. First of all, you avoid the fat of the chicken skin, and everyone in my family just eats the breast anyway! An added bonus is that if I have left over chicken, I shred it and make chicken salad out of it!
It is said that Chicken Soup has "healing power"! So when we are feeling a little under the weather, chicken soup is on the menu! Over the years I have tried all sorts of recipes and all sorts of pasta in my chicken soup. Some of my choices are:
Tubettini
Stelline
Pastina
Small egg bows
Acini Pepe (my family fave)
Orzo (my personal fave)
All of these cuts of pasta are great for soup, but you can choose your own personal favorite! Over the years I've tweeked my recipe...I finally found my favorite recipe and I want to share it with you! We still have a few more weeks of winter and I hear a major snow storm is making its way to us next week...so you may want soup on your menu too!!
BTW...Totally not looking forward to this!!!! I need the sun on my nose and sand between my toes!!!!!
RECIPE ALERT: Chicken Soup
Fill your pot halfway with water
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 red potatoes, quartered
2 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 green onion (scallion) cut in small, thin rounds
A handful of fresh parsley, coursely chopped
Carrots (sometimes I use the petite carrots if that's all I have) - add as much as you'd like
1 bay leaf
1 clove of fresh garlic, smashed
Black Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1/4 cup sauce - you can use sauce that you have left over in the fridge as this gives a richer flavor
Add everything together in your pot and cover until it starts to boil.
***Rule of thumb - Its usually done when the potatoes are soft and cooked all the way through***
Remove all the veggies and the chicken from the soup, add some more water to the pot and let boil. Add pasta and wait until that's cooked.
Serve with a platter of veggies on the side and shredded chicken in another platter. You can add pecorino romano to your bowl of soup if desired!
Quick Tip: When my kids were little, I used to put it in the blender for them and they were able to enjoy it too!!
So now you have it! Stay home, stay warm, put on a good movie and eat a nice hot bowl of Chicken Soup...it's food for your soul
Buon Appetito!! Enjoy!