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Most of the east coast has been getting walloped by snow and rain since sometime over the weekend (it started last night here in Philly). While it hasn't closed down the city entirely, schools are closed and lots of folks are working from home instead of facing the messy commute. My office is pleasantly quiet, with about half the staff at their desks.
During a snowstorm, there's nothing I like to eat for dinner more than a big bowl of soup. However, since I'm working today, there's no time for a pot of something long-simmered. So tonight, I'm going to make a batch of cheater's chicken soup. It's nothing more than a bunch of sauteed veggies that then get simmered in boxed chicken stock. When it's bubbling nicely, I drop in pieces of thinly sliced chicken breast and let them quickly cook in the broth. Last, I toss in some cooked pasta or rice for a starch and call it dinner. It's fast and tastes good. What more can you ask!
Cheater's Chicken Soup
1 onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, cut into thin half-moons
3 ribs of celery, chopped
5-6 button mushrooms, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped from the twig and chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 grinds of pepper
2 quarts boxed chicken stock
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked rice or small pasta (orzo works nicely)
Heat a pot (at least 4 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and all veggies/herbs. Saute until they start to brown and soften (7-8 minutes). Grind in pepper.
When they've browned to your liking, pour in the chicken broth and adjust the temperature so that the veggies simmer gently. Taste the broth and determine if it needs any additional salt (those boxed chicken stocks can be awfully salty).
Once the vegetables are softened, bring the heat up a little (you need a bit of a bubble going on, so that it's hot enough to cook the chicken quickly). Drop the chicken into the soup a few pieces at a time, so that you don't lower the temperature of the soup too drastically. Stir between each drop.
When all the chicken is incorporated and the broth is gently bubbling again, add in the cooked rice or pasta. Stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
To brighten the soup, top it with a squeeze of lemon juice.
If you want more greens in your soup, stir in some washed spinach at the end, it will wilt into the soup broth and adds a nice green quality to the soup.
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3-02-2009 @4:42PM Sally said... Souped up Chicken Soups:
http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/030223/030223cooksmart.html
I use so much stock I can't make enough of it. So I rely on "stock in a box" or a doctored up version of it. I also prefer to add roasted chicken to soups rather than stewed or poached.
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3-02-2009 @5:10PM alisa said... I love that someone has come clean about not making their own stock or soup from scratch all the time ! I do your version of chicken soup a lot (though I do admitedly make it from scratch when i have the time) and I like to make it "asian style" by adding a few drops of fish sauce, some lime juice (or lime leaves if you can get them), grated ginger, dose of chili peppers or paste and rice noodles.
theripetomato.wordpress.com
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3-02-2009 @5:11PM amanda said... Make it even easier on yourself:
- Slice chicken and freeze it to have it on hand to easily defrost and toss in to last minute recipes.
- Don't pre-cook the rice or pasta; cook it in the soup.
I make small batches of "whatever I have around" chicken soup like this all the time with very little mess. Aside from chicken prep ahead of time, it just takes a pot and a cutting board.
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3-02-2009 @6:00PM Amy Z said... My "cheaters" chicken soup is...
Ingredients:
1lb gound chicken
1 onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 celery stalks chopped
2-3 boxes organic chicken stock
dried herbs and spices, to taste - salt, pepper, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes
bay leaf
quick barley
sometimes I add 1 jalepeno, sliced or diced
Process:
Brown chicken, onions, celery, herbs and spices in bottom of soup pot (if using jalapeno, add it here). Add tomotoes, stock, bay leaf and barley. Cook till barley is tender. I like to layer flavors, so I usually add more seasons at this point (or split it up between the two times) - same ones as before.
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3-04-2009 @5:09AM Megan said... I have an even lazier version that works when your hungry and cold.
2 Chicken Bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups of hot water
1 or two of those oven ready lasagna noodles(the kind you don't have to pre-boil), broken up
whatever random vegetables you have frozen or in the fridge
Microwave for like 4 minutes or throw in pan for a little bit. This is what I use for myself, obviously you can add more water and cubes to make more. Also works with cheater beef soup, just use beef bouillon.
I'm like the microwave queen
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