There’s a South American proverb that says “Good broth will resurrect the dead.” Amen to that.
Whether you are physically hurting or emotionally hurting, there’s something about chicken soup that just helps all the parts of you. I’m going to give you the basics here (broth, carrots, celery, onion) and then offer some options for you to riff off of.
Step 1: get a big pot and put your stock in it, liquid (fresh or water + bouillon) or frozen in cubes. Visualize how much soup you want—and use about half that much stock. Bring to a simmer while you handle the veggies. I’m going to aim for 4 quarts of soup (1 gallon). So I need about 2 quarts of stock, depending on its flavor concentration. You can always add more.
Step 2: Chop your mirepoix (“MEERPWAH”, remember? Fancy French for “carrots, celery, and onion). I like to start with the carrots. Chop and sauté them in the skillet with a little butter/olive oil until just soft. Then, put them in the stock. This extra step add a boost of flavor. Do the same with the celery and onion (together). I suggest 4-6 carrots, 3-5 celery stalks, and one regular sized onion, all from your Misfits Market box, of course!!!
Step 3: Simmer for a couple minutes. You’re finished. What you have right now is a light, soothing soup. It’s quite nutritious just as it is.
Riffs:
-add meat. Scraps of random chicken meat are perfect for soup. You can add as much or a little as you want/have.
-add a starch: noodles, rice, pasta, potatoes. Go as heavy or light as you want with your starch. Cook your starch before hand and then add to your soup. My current favorite is barley—it’s ridiculously nutritious and adds a non-dairy creamy-ness to the soup. I cook it separately with a bouillon cube in the water. Consider your dietary options: adding rice makes your soup still gluten-free, while adding potatoes makes your soup Whole30 compliant.
-add beans. They boost your soup’s protein content. If you really have your act together, last night you put some dried beans in water to rehydrate overnight. (I don’t have my act together like that.)
-add any other veggies you want/have already cooked, like bell peppers. If you really want to sneak something in there, purée it and then put it in. You can hide all kinds of odds and ends in a soup: squash, tomatoes, eggplant, more onion, cauliflower...
Congrats!!! You have used up that ENTIRE chicken. Be proud of yourself, and eat up!
