Beyond being—still—the oldest remedy for colds, the simple and classic chicken soup has something so comforting about it that it evokes the warm embrace of a loved one. Nothing complicated about it: just some chicken, vegetables, and water transforming into a healing potion, into love. It's not just meant to nourish you but also to restore your balance. Chicken soup is a miracle.
Perhaps not coincidentally, preparing it is one of the simplest things you can do. So simple that even someone drained of energy and laid low by a cold, or a good friend without any particular passion for cooking, can make it to take care of someone dear with such a simple gesture. Here are the few ingredients I used:
900 g of chicken pieces (I had a pack with wings, backs, and thighs)
1 onion
3 carrots
A few cloves of garlic
Noodles
Salt
Fresh parsley
In a pot, I placed the chicken pieces, onion, carrots, and garlic— all vegetables cleaned and left whole—then covered everything with water. I let it boil until it reached a gentle simmer and then turned the heat low, allowing the magic to happen and let it simmer slowly for an hour. Occasionally, I skimmed off the foam that formed during boiling.
After an hour, I removed the meat to one bowl and the vegetables to another, and strained the soup. I detached the meat from the bones, keeping only the carrots, which I sliced into rounds. I put the soup back on the heat, added the meat and carrots, topped it off with more water, and seasoned it with salt. When it started to boil, I added two nests of thin noodles, letting the soup simmer a bit longer, just enough for the noodles to soften. Finally, I chopped plenty of parsley and sprinkled it over the soup, ready to be served and enjoyed.
Make chicken soup for your friends and loved ones battling the less desirable effects of winter. You’ll feel like a little alchemist, and I assure you, they will be grateful.
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