Chicken Soup… for the SOUL*

*not really

I have had a horrible congested-y cold all week, resulting in much tissue paper usage and a drugs-run to Germany (plus side: medicine and general health products are much cheaper there; downside: I can’t read German and thus have had to guess what they’re for). I have clearly been reading too many American novels / watching too much American tv  where they give the invalid (I’m allowed to exaggerate in my feeling-rubbishness) because I started craving chicken soup. And for some reason the phrase “chicken soup for the soul” kept going round in my head (as well as “you’re so right, Sarah” after each time I had had a particularly apt thought… I’m blaming that on the illness also, I don’t think I’m normally so self-congratulatory). I think the phrase might be a book, but I can’t be bothered googling to check… If so, anyone read it? Any good?

So, I eventually got round to having a preliminary look for chicken soup recipes, never having had it to my knowledge (that’s probably a lie, but I certainly can’t remember it). But I didn’t find any which didn’t require a pre-roasted chicken or noodles, which I dislike, so I made it up and it turned out to be just what Doctor Sarah ordered (I was so right). Even if, controversially for me, there is no blending of the vegetables, so it was a very thin soup (with chunks in it, of course).

A word on stock: I’ve never made stock properly, always using stock cubes. As these are usually relatively salty, this also probably explains the lack of salt in my recipes. I’m not actually sure how to make proper stock, but that can be a challenge for another day…

(serves 3-4)

150g chicken breast/escalope, chopped

3 small onions, chopped

3 small carrots, peeled and chopped

1 tsp dried garlic / 1 clove, chopped

1.5l quite concentrated chicken stock (made with 2 stock-cubes)

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp allspice

1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Fry the chicken in the base of your saucepan over a medium heat with a little oil. When almost cooked, add the onions.
2. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add all other ingredients.
4. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for up to 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy!