While many of you were nursing hangovers with the likes of electrolyte-laden liquids and a couple of Tylenol last week, I was taking the same thing, but for a different kind of recovery. Yes, y'all, while all of you lovely revelers were out partying like it was 1999 last week, I was at home in bed, sicker than I haven't been in years.
So, I made chicken soup. Actually, all week, I made about five different types of chicken soup. Who knows what the true medicinal value of homemade chicken soup is? All I know is that sitting on the couch wrapped up in a cashmere throw and sipping salty chicken broth sure made me feel better. The recipe below is very, very simple -- probably far too simple to keep the interest of all you fabulous Slashfood cooks out there! -- but for anyone who wants a basic guide, this will do. There are no herbs to flavor the broth, only the very strong and healthy fragrance of garlic. It's all I could handle while CUI (cooking under the influence -- of flu medicines, that is).
Simple Chicken Soup
Cut a whole chicken (about 3½-4 pounds) into parts. They don't have to be small parts -- I cut apart the drumstick/thigh, each of the wings, and left the brest in its entirety. In fact, if your pot is big enough, you could probably just throw the whole chicken in there.
Add enough water to the pot to cover the chicken completely. Add 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces, 3 stalks of celery, cut into 2" pieces, 2 potatoes (skin on) cut into 2" chunks, and 1 whole onion cut into eighths.
Simmer for about another 45 minutes until the chicken meat is practically falling off the bone. The vegetables will be very soft.
Ladle broth into bowl, carefully add chicken and vegetables, salt and pepper to taste, and feel your fever fade away.
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