Working girl's chicken soup

There’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of chicken soup when I’m feeling under the weather. Somehow, someway, I’ve managed to pick up a nasty cold in the middle of July.  For those of you who may be wondering, a fever and an aching body feel worse in a heat wave. Last night I was too sick to cook, so we ordered Chinese takeout—won ton for me. I was hoping it would fulfill my need for chicken soup, but it didn’t. And so I found myself in whole foods this afternoon to pick up the ingredients I needed to cure myself.

As a woman with a job that often keeps me past 5 o’clock, (except for today…I left early because I was still feeling rotten) I’m always looking for ways to simplify a meal. When it comes to making chicken soup, a rotisserie chicken does the trick. Then all you need is fresh veggies, herbs, and some chicken stock and you’re on your way to a delicious and comforting meal.

Ingredients

·      Rotisserie chicken

·      2 quarts of chicken stock

·      3 cups of water

·      3 bouillon packets/cubes

·      1 tablespoon olive oil

·      2 large carrots

·      4 cloves of garlic

·      1 large leek

·      1 large shallot

·      1 medium sized red onion

·      1 bunch of asparagus

·      Handfuls of fresh oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, and parsley

·      Bag/box baby arugula (spinach is good too)

·      1 lemon

·      ¼ cup of parmesan cheese

·      Pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat alphabet)

The easiest way to make this soup is to get all of your prep work out of the way—after that, it’s just a matter of throwing it all in the pot. Chop all of your vegetables into whatever size or shape your little heart desires, the more uneven they are, the more rustic the soup. 

Collect all of your herbs into a pile on your cutting board and mince them all together. Be sure to remove the stems from the rosemary and thyme—these won’t cook down in the soup.

Heat oil in a large pot and add garlic, onion, shallot, leek and herbs. Add generous amounts of salt and pepper and cook until transparent. Then add carrot, chicken stock, water, and bouillon cubes. Set asparagus aside.

While stock and veggies are coming to a boil, it’s time to shred your chicken. To do this, all you need are your 2 hands and a strong stomach. If you live in my house, you will also need the occasional elbow to knock the naughty cat off the counter. Remove the chicken from the bone (discarding skin) tearing it into bite sized pieces. 

Add chicken, asparagus, and pasta to the pot and cook until pasta is al dente. (NOTE: go light on the pasta. You want the chicken to be the star of the show.) When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and add in lemon juice, parmesan, and arugula. Stir and serve with a smile.

 My handsome dinner date.