The Soup I Make When Someone Is Sick
Every family has their sick-day soup. Mine is a clear chicken noodle — the kind my mother made me when I had a fever, the kind I make my husband when he catches whatever is going around at his office, and the kind I make for myself when I feel a cold coming on. There is nothing fancy about it. That is the point.
The base is just a slow-simmered chicken stock — bones, an onion split in half and charred dark on a dry pan, a few carrots, a couple celery stalks, a small handful of black peppercorns, a bay leaf, a few sprigs of thyme, and water to cover. Three hours on the lowest possible flame, skimmed occasionally. Strained. Salted lightly.
To serve, I drop a generous handful of egg noodles into a bowl, ladle the hot broth over, and add whatever shredded chicken I have on hand. A small handful of fresh dill, a few slices of carrot cooked in the broth, a squeeze of lemon. That is it. The cure is in the broth.
Notes from my kitchen
Charring the onion gives the broth its color and a faint sweetness. Do not skip it.
If you do not have chicken bones, a rotisserie chicken carcass from the grocery store works. Pick the meat off first, then simmer the bones.
Make a double batch and freeze the broth. You will be glad you have it next time someone gets sick.
Comments (5)
Made this for my husband when he had the flu. He claims it cured him. I claim it was the cold meds. The truth is probably somewhere in between.
ReplyThe charred onion makes such a difference in the color and depth. I had been making chicken soup for years without that step. Game changer.
ReplyUsed a rotisserie chicken carcass as you suggested. Worked perfectly and saved me a trip to the butcher.
ReplyI add a parmesan rind to mine while it simmers. Highly recommended. Adds incredible depth.
Reply@Frank — yes! That is how I use up the rinds. They make any broth better.
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