Chicken Soup for Dinner…and for the Soul!

I LOVE Chicken Soup.  Actually, I love making Chicken Soup.  I also love eating it.  I love serving it in my home.  I love that each pot of soup is unique.  The tastes and textures changing with each serving.

It's not hard to imagine how chicken soup became an icon for healthy, nourishing, soothing food.

I used to make soups of all kinds, following recipes from cookbooks or magazines, measuring exactly, sure to learn the steps, the ratios, and the variations.  Over time I developed a love for chicken soup above all others.  At least when I'm making it myself. 

I became confident and willing to follow my instincts.  Seeing what attracts me in the produce market.  Imagining flavors, textures, even the colors, and how they'd meld, enhance or overwhelm each other.

In my imagination, I taste the concoctions I am creating while selecting fresh produce, clipping herbs, braising chicken.

Here's a simple (in time, skill & ingredients) recipe of the Chicken Soup I made last week.  Enjoy with a fresh, green salad, and seeded baguette or pita bread.  For dessert: sliced fuji apples with shaved Manchego cheese.  Yum.

Chicken Soup

1 qt Chicken Broth (I use Trader Joe's Organic, Free Range)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 whole chicken breast (it's best if you can buy chicken that is free range, and hormone/antibiotic free)
Olive oil
2 cups water
1/2 yellow onion, coursely chopped
1/2 celery root (aka celeriac), cut to 1/2 inch cubes or smaller
3 carrots, cubed or sliced into rings
1 bulb fennel bulb (aka anise root), trim, cut lengthwise in half, and half again, cut cross-wise in 1/2 inch pieces

4 ribs celery, cut to 1/2 inch pieces
1 can kidney or white kidney beans, drained

cumin, black pepper, kosher salt

Braise chicken and root vegetables:
Remove skin from breast.  Rinse the chicken breast in running water to remove any of the juices from packaging.  Pat with paper towel.  Season with ground cumin, black pepper and salt, both sides.

Heat a medium size skillet, add just enough olive oil to coat, add chicken.  Lightly brown the chicken. Remove and set aside.

Add more oil, as needed to lightly saute vegetables.  Careful not to use too much oil, you just want to coat them enough so as not to burn or stick to the pan.
Lightly saute onion and fennel.
Add the chicken back to the pan.
Add celery root and carrots.
Pour water over all the ingredients, just enough to cover (approx 2 cups).
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low simmer. Cover and let cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the chicken so it can cool to touch.

In a 4 quart (or larger) saucepan, add chicken stock, tomatoes, celery, beans, and the braised root vegetables, and any remaining water.  Bring to a simmer.

Cut or shred the chicken into bite sizes pieces.  Add to the sauce pan.
When celery is tender, the soup is ready to eat.
Add salt to taste.  (Don't add it sooner, or it can ruin the whole meal.)
Serves 4

If you have a day at home:  You can make this in the afternoon, returning to the kitchen periodically for the next step.  Then just let it simmer on low until you're ready to eat.

Otherwise, if you're making this dish at the end of the day, plan on at least an hour of cooking time.  Chop everything first, then when it's time for braising or simmering, you can do other things like set the table…or watch the sunset!