Flu season is upon us. Ick.
Actually, this year we didn’t really get a true off-season, thanks to H1N1. Now there are two flu vaccinations, stores are routinely stocking out of hand sanitizer, and parents are keeping kids home from school at the slightest sniffle.
Time to break out the food world’s most effective weapon against illness: chicken soup.
I can’t make you take your vitamins or wash your hands ten times a day. I’m not going to come to your house and tell you, for the last time, to turn off 'The Biggest Loser' and go to bed, for crying out loud, because sleep boosts your immune system. But if you do get sick, I might just show up at your door with a pot of chicken soup and a loaf of bread.
Several studies have been performed in recent years on chicken soup’s medicinal qualities. Perhaps it’s simply a tasty way to get more fluids. Maybe simmering the chicken releases an enzyme that speeds recovery somehow. Maybe the chicken is just a distraction, and the spices are really doing all the therapeutic work. I predict that the scientific community will eventually succeed in sussing it out, and a couple of years later we’ll see it in pill form at the pharmacy.
And that will be a mistake. Because whatever chemical loveliness is in chicken soup, conspiring to make us better, at least some of its healing power lies in the comfort it provides. The process of eating it just feels good. A scientist would chalk that up to the placebo effect, and I say, who cares? If the thought that the soup is going to make me feel better is what actually makes me feel better, sign me up.
Even if you’re not in need of a flu remedy at the moment, chicken soup makes for a tasty and healthful meal. And it freezes well, too. So you could do your future under-the-weather self a favor and make a double batch: one for the freezer and one for now. When your neighbors get sick, you could take them a batch, too. Because then you’d be “that-terrific-neighbor-that-made-the-most-amazing-chicken-soup-when-I-was-sick-and-couldn’t-imagine-making-dinner”.
There are two major upsides to doing this. One, those neighbors will be much less likely to call the authorities if (when?) your holiday party gets a touch out of hand this year, and two:
I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I was naked and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.
-Matthew 25:35-36
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Here's a great recipe for chicken soup that I've adapted from Joy of Cooking. The idea is to modify it to suit your tastes (and use what you have on hand). For example, I often go heavy on the chicken, add red bell pepper, and triple the garlic.
8 cups chicken stock (low-sodium, if canned)
1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into serving pieces
3 large carrots, diced
3 large celery stalks, diced
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium leeks (white parts only), cleaned thoroughly and sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 bouquet garni (recipe below)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mace (optional)
2 medium new potatoes, diced
(or 1/4 cup rice, or 2 ounces egg noodles)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Bring first ten ingredients (stock through mace) to a boil in a large soup pot. Reduce the heat and simmer until the breast meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the breast meat to a plate; continue cooking remaining chicken until it falls off the bone, about 45 minutes longer. Remove chicken and let cool.
Meanwhile, add the potatoes/rice/noodles to the pot and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni and turn off the heat.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat (I just pull it into pieces with my hands) and add to the soup. Reheat, if necessary, over medium heat, and season with parsley, salt and pepper.
Bouquet Garni
Small bunch of parsley or parsley stems
8 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
3 or 4 celery leaves
Wrap the ingredients in a 4 x 4-inch piece of cheesecloth and tie with twine, or simply tie the herbs together with the twine.
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mace (optional)
2 medium new potatoes, diced
(or 1/4 cup rice, or 2 ounces egg noodles)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Bring first ten ingredients (stock through mace) to a boil in a large soup pot. Reduce the heat and simmer until the breast meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the breast meat to a plate; continue cooking remaining chicken until it falls off the bone, about 45 minutes longer. Remove chicken and let cool.
Meanwhile, add the potatoes/rice/noodles to the pot and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni and turn off the heat.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat (I just pull it into pieces with my hands) and add to the soup. Reheat, if necessary, over medium heat, and season with parsley, salt and pepper.
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Bouquet Garni
Small bunch of parsley or parsley stems
8 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
3 or 4 celery leaves
Wrap the ingredients in a 4 x 4-inch piece of cheesecloth and tie with twine, or simply tie the herbs together with the twine.
