Hearty Chicken Soup

When my family has a cold or flu, this soup is the perfect remedy. It is easy to make and the result is hearty and delicious. What a great way to warm up on a cold day!

Ingredients:

6-8 pieces bone-in chicken (I use thighs and breasts)
3 cups water
2 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
or
1 bundle fresh sage, thyme & parsley, tied with a string
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cups canned chicken broth

Cooked noodles or rice

Instructions:

Place chicken in a large saucepan, add water and seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Turn off heat and remove chicken from cooking liquid. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, cartilage and bones. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Strain the broth and remove the fat (I use a de-fatting cup, but you can also skim the fat from the top with a spoon.) Return the meat to the pot with the vegetables. Add chicken broth if needed. (The ratio of ingredients to broth should be about 1:3). Cover and bring the soup to a boil. Lower to simmer again for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are fully cooked. Taste the broth. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt if necessary.

Serve soup piping hot over noodles or rice. It is important to cook and store the noodles separately so that they don't rob the soup of its moisture. Extra soup can be frozen for up to 6 months. This recipe makes a nice, big batch -- enough to serve 8 people.

p.s. -- If you're on a diet, like Whole30, this recipe can be made without the rice & noodles.  Still super-nourishing... just double the veggies or add chopped greens.

Enjoy!

NanaJane's Minestrone Soup

My mother had a wonderful way of making this soup just when we needed it most -- after a day of leaf-raking or chopping wood for the woodstove. It was such a welcome feeling to walk into the warm house and smell this wonderful soup on the stove. One bowl would turn you from chilled-to-the-bone straight into warm-n-cozy. (I think it's magic.)

Ingredients

1 Tbs oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup green beans
2 cup tomatoes, smashed (canned work best)
1 cup of white beans (canellini, navy, Lima etc.)
1 zucchini, cut into half-moon slices
1/4 cup fresh parsley (or1 Tbsp dry)
1 tsp basil and 1 tsp oregano, dried
1 bay leaf
8 cups of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. small pasta (any variety)
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrots for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta and cheese, and cook over low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cook pasta separately, then add to soup right before serving. top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Serve with nice, crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Celeriac Vichyssoise

There's a chill in the air, which means the time has come for beautiful soup recipes. This recipe is taken directly from The New Basics Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. I make it every year when the weather turns chilly and your bones tell you that winter is around the corner. "This soup is like eating a bowlful of life itself," my sister told me when I sent her the recipe. It is just too good not to share.

Ingredients

4 tbs butter
3 cups diced onions
1 leek, well rinsed and diced
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
2 lbs. celeriac (celery root) cut into large dice
6 cloves garlic
6 cups homemade or store-bought chicken stock
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp celery seed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add the onion and leek and cook over medium heat until translucent (10 minutes.) Add the potatoes, celery root, and garlic. Stir and cook 5 more minutes. Add the lemon juice, stock, celery seeds (if using), salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook 30 minutes or until the celery root is tender. Allow to cool slightly, off the heat. Puree the mixture in a blender, in batches. I blend until the soup is the consistency of applesauce -- not entirely smooth, but fairly so. Return the puree to the soup pot and add milk and cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until soup is heated through. Serve with a warm, crusty baguette.

Enjoy!