First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

filed in Foodstuff

Chicken Soup and the Common Cold

November 4, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

At the first sign of a runny nose, I throw together a pot of chicken soup. I say throw, because this is not a delicate dish. I cut big hunks of carrots, onion and celery and add them to the pot with a whole chicken that’s been covered with cold water. It takes only 5 minutes to prep, although for a rich chicken soup, you should simmer the ingredients for at least 2 hours. As the soup is coming to a boil, I hang around the stove to skim the impurities from the top. But I usually get bored doing this, and give up quickly. Today I had some leftover leeks in the fridge, so I tossed them in, along with fresh parsley from the garden.

Making chicken soup is a great way to nurture, and it reminds me of the care I got from my mother and grandmother when I was under the weather. Colds have to run their course, and there’s not much evidence that anything speeds up the healing process. But I swear by chicken soup. Don’t just take my word for it. The Mayo Clinic agrees. Recipe from the Second Avenue Deli in New York follows.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken parts (wings, necks, and bones)
• 2 stalks celery, including leafy tops, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 whole chicken
• Salt and pepper, to rub inside chicken
• 1 large whole onion, unpeeled
• 1 large whole carrot, peeled
• 1 medium whole parsnip, peeled
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bunch dill, tied with a string
• Matzo Balls, recipe follows

Directions

Pour 12 cups of cold water into a large stockpot, and add the chicken parts and celery. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rub the inside of the whole chicken with the salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the pot, cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Do not let the soup come to a rolling boil. Test chicken with a fork to see if it is tender and fully cooked; then remove it from the pot, and set aside on a large platter. Leave chicken parts in the pot.

Add onion, carrot, parsnip, salt and pepper. Let the soup simmer for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. When chicken cools, remove skin and bones and cut meat into bite-size pieces. You can add it to the soup, just before serving, or save it for chicken salad.

Strain the soup, and discard all solids except the carrot. Drop in the dill for 1 minute before serving and remove. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Slice carrot and return to the soup. Also add the chicken pieces, if desired. The soup can be served with noodles, rice, or kasha and a matzo ball. The soup tastes best the following day. Allow the soup to cool and skim the fat from the top.

• Home
• About
• about-site
• archives
• Art Seen
• Contact
• Subscribe