Old Fashioned Chicken Soup

Studies have shown that what your grandmother use to say was true!  She would say, “If you are coming down with a cold or already have one, get some chicken soup into you!  You can put a variety of vegetables into it – turnip, parsnips, or even kale!  However, the ones you can’t ignore are the garlic and onions, especially, the garlic.  The Cleveland Clinic has found evidence that garlic contains vital phytochemicals, believed to ward against disease and increase immune system function.  When you feel “one” coming on, cook up a big batch of chicken soup.  It is also easy to freeze and save for those times when you need it most!

6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs

6 C water

3 springs parsley

2 carrots pealed and cut into chunks

2 stalks celery (with leaves) cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic peeled

1 onion peeled and cut in quarters

1/2 tsp. thyme

5-6 14 oz. Cans of chicken broth (low sodium and low fat)

3 carrots and 3 stalks of celery sliced thinly

I medium onion chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 T Sherry (optional)

Your choice of pasta- noodles and shells are the best

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat to boiling the chicken, herbs, and vegetables and simmer slightly covered just so that a bubble or two hits the surface.  Cook for about 50 -55 minutes.  Remove the chicken and set aside.  Strain the stock and throw away the vegetables.  Add 5-6 cans of  broth to the soup stock.  Add the carrot, onion, garlic, and celery and cook on medium low for 20 minutes.  Cut or tear the chicken into bite size pieces and add them back into the soup.  In the meantime, determine how many people will eat the soup and only cook enough pasta for that meal.  Add the pasta to the individual soup bowls just before serving, otherwise they will get too mushy if you keep reheating them each time you have the soup.  You can also make more than enough pasta and keep it in the refrigerator.  Just add the pasta to the piping hot soup.

The beauty of making a big batch of this soup is that it can be frozen without the pasta.  It is great to have small servings in the freezer for the cold and flu season!