"chicken soup" news and stories

Happy Chicken Soup for the Soul Week!

Even John Steinbeck acknowledges the power of chicken soup, writing "The lore has not died out of the world and you will still find people who believe that soup will cure any hurt or illness." We here at Slashfood could not agree more -- and have provided you with some interesting recipes for the nourishing liquid cure. Bon appétit!

• Chicken barley soup
• Coconut chicken soup
• Chicken and brown rice soup
• Chicken macaroni soup
• Green chicken soup
• Chicken-lime soup
• Spicy chicken soup
• Creamy chicken and white rice soup

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Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are the farmers and innovators behind Beekman 1802, a 200-year-old estate and farm in upstate New York. We'll be running recipes, photos and tales from the farm as their crops come into season.

Flu and cold season is at its peak, so on the farm we whip up a special soup using some of the vegetables we have left in the root cellar.

Turnip soup is known to stimulate the appetite, and studies have shown that chicken soup can help speed up the recovery process. Why not blend the two? With a little garlic and onions thrown in for their natural anti-microbial powers, this delicious soup will have you feeling better even if you're not under the weather.

• The Pats aren't in the Super Bowl this year, but these Boston chefs are still gearing up for it.
• Staff writers suggest bringing the art of snacking to international proportions.
• Go on, put some Boston butt (pork shoulder) on the stove and let it braise -- you'll end up with tender pork that works for multiple meals.
• Boston-area restaurateurs share their chicken soup tips -- for the bowl and the soul.

• Look forward to the "restorative powers of chicken soup" with recipes from local eateries Elephants Delicatessen and Three Square Grill.
• Peeking into a cook's cupboard is a revealing experience. The Oregonian staff reveals 100 things from their cupboards, from tubed harissa to Frank's Red Hot.
• In wine news, enjoy recommendations for reds characterized by "extreme purity" -- and a lack of traditional corks.
• Enliven your potato pancakes with root vegetables and a recipe for Potato, Celery Root and Yam Pancakes.

Zesty tortilla soup. Photo: umamigirl, Flickr.

In a refreshing alternative to the tired go-to chicken soup, tortilla soup is just as simple a concoction thanks to the addition of a few lively ingredients, namely jalapeno, lime, cilantro and tomatillos. Here, Flickr user umamigirl prepared Serious Eat's "kitchen sink style" Quick Tortilla Soup recipe, which we can only hope to be as gloriously colorful in flavor as it is in appearance.

Though this tortilla soup makes use of a plethora of ingredients, the beauty of the brothy soup is its flexibility, both in terms of taste as well as the clever cook's "what-do-I-have-on-hand-that-may-go-bad" approach. Have an affinity to garlic? Throw in as many cloves as your heart desires. Are there bell peppers going soft? Toss them in at liberty. Distaste for cilantro? Substitute some parsley in its place. Either way, with a base as simple as a can of diced tomatoes, broth and cooked chicken, tossing in whatever additional ingredients you crave guarantees to lead to a delicious bowl of soup.

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