chicken soup: comfort food that warms the soul.

chicken soup is comfort food that warms my soul. my postpartum clients get this homemade chicken soup in a quart sized jar when they need a little taste of home and some extra protein in their diet. you can ask them.  it’s true!

you know, i enjoy this soup when i receive sad news, on a cool evening after walking the dog, and when i have had a long work day.

i think i could eat a bowl of soup every time it rains and when i hear a sniffle in the house. my soup pot comes out when i am feeling lonely. i enjoy a bowl of warm chicken soup and call a friend.

chicken soup has lots of healing properties.

warm bone broth or bone stock is comforting, easy to digest, and gives added protein to the meal.

during the postpartum period sipping the warm broth in this homemade soup puts needed fluids back into the body.

it is believed that the particular blend of nutrients and vitamins in  chicken soup can slow the activity of certain white blood cells.

some folks agree that drinking bone broth with a simple dinner may help provide  glycine to assist with better sleep and have less fatigue the following day.

ingredients

• 1 tbl olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 large carrots chopped
• 1 rib celery chopped
• ¾ cup corn
• 6 skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
• 2 quarts of chicken stock or chicken broth
• 1-2  chicken bouillon cubes
• 7 oz. green beans in bite-size pieces
• 4 oz. fresh spinach
• ½ quart water if needed
• 6 oz. angel hair pasta
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon celery salt
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper

instructions

• heat oil in a soup pot. i use a dutch oven for my soup.
• sauté onion, celery, carrot, garlic.
• add chicken thighs, broth/stock, bouillon to the soup pot.
• simmer at least 20 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked.
• shred the meat. remove bones. add the chicken back to the pot along with the noodles. cook 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally to separate noodles. add green beans and corn. stir in spinach and parsley before serving.

final thoughts

i use both chicken breasts and thighs, whatever i have on hand. surprisingly, i am liking the taste of dark meat in this soup.

i add a bag of frozen green beans to the soup pot when i add the noodles.

 sometimes i add leftover roasted veggies like cabbage and potatoes.

chicken soup is the soup that warms my soul.

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