Soups

Your roommate, friend, significant other is sick and you know a yummy pot of chicken soup would do him/her a world of good. Yes, of course you could crack open a can or a box, but homemade soup is much more nutritious and will earn you big time brownie points as well.

Here are a couple different versions: I know you don’t have time to start boiling chickens so let’s start with ready made broth and cooked chicken. Find a broth you like but don’t use those salty boullion cubes. Nutritionally they are not as good and the idea here is to make something healthy.

These are large amounts of soup because they are meant to be shared.

Chicken Noodle Soup

(Makes 4 bowls or 8 cups)

2 quarts or 8 cups chicken broth

1 onion chopped fine

2 carrots diced medium

2 stalks celery diced medium

1/2 cup rice, orzo, small pasta or fine noodles

1 bay leaf

2 cups cooked chicken chopped into small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil while you chop vegetables.
Lower heat to a simmer and stir in vegetables, rice (or pasta) and bay leaf.
Simmer 20 minutes for rice or 10 minutes for pasta till cooked through.
Toss in chopped chicken, salt and pepper and simmer five minutes more.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
When finished toss out bay leaf and serve with crackers.

***For a vegetarian version of this soup use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, substitute a can a beans for chicken.

Greek Egg Lemon Soup or Avgolemono

(Makes 4 bowls or 8 cups)

I grew up eating this because both my parents are from Greece, but I didn’t really appreciate it until I became lactose intolerant. That’s because the eggs lend a creaminess to the texture without adding any cream. This is not hard to make but you must follow directions carefully or you will make a common mistake and overcook the eggs. You'll know when that happens because the egg whites will separate and float around in the broth.

2 quarts or 8 cups chicken broth

½ cup orzo or rice

2 cups cooked chicken

Juice of two lemons (about ½ cup)

3 eggs

Heat broth and orzo or rice until boiling and lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
Squeeze and strain lemon juice.
Whisk eggs until frothy and slowly add lemon juice to eggs.
Remove 2 cups of broth from pot and place in large measuring cup or small pitcher.
Stir chicken into broth and continue to simmer on low.
Take removed broth and very gradually pour teeny amounts of broth (about 1/4 cup at a time) to egg and lemon mixture and continue beating eggs with a whisk while you add broth.
What you are doing here is slowly bring the eggs up to the temperature of the broth. If you add too much broth too quickly the eggs will separate, so take your time.
Once all the broth is incorporated into the eggs you can slowly pour it back into the rest of the soup.
Stir on low until thickened slightly. Do not bring to a boil.

*If you have leftovers remember to heat it back up gently.

Chili con Carne

(Serves 6)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound of any meat (your choice) cut in chunks or ground

1 onion diced

2-3 garlic cloves chopped fine with 1 teaspoon salt

2 carrots diced

2 stalks celery diced

1 green pepper diced

1 28 oz. can pureed or crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz. can kidney, black or pink beans

3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Tablespoon coriander

1 teaspoon pepper

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Shredded cheese, sour cream and/or red onion for garnish

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add oil.
Add meat to pot and brown on all sides.
Remove meat from pot with a slotted spoon leaving fat behind.
Add onions and garlic and heat until onions are translucent.
Add celery, carrots and green pepper and cook until they get soft (about 10 minutes)
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add meat back into pot and heat 10 minutes more.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Top with your choice of shredded cheese, sour cream and/or onions.

* Also good served over rice or baked potato

Vegetarian Chili