IN the Kitchen

WELCOME TO “IN THE KITCHEN.” I invite you to take a journey with me as we explore a variety of homemade meals, snacks, and dessert recipes each season.

Since it is fall, I am sharing my chicken soup recipe. This comforting and classic dish is known worldwide for its mysterious medicinal qualities, including boosting your immunity to relieve viral illnesses like the common cold and flu.

Tip: The longer you cook the chicken with the bone in, the greater the vitamin and mineral benefit to the soup broth.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Serves 8 to 10

1 Young Whole Chicken or pre-cut

2-3 Carrots

3 Celery stalks

1 Half of a large onion

1 Large Potatoe

3-4 Sprigs of Thyme

1-2 Bay leaf

1⁄4 cup Fresh parsley

1⁄4 cup Fresh parsley for garnish

2 Sprigs of oregano

5 Garlic toes

1 32oz carton chicken bone broth

1 48oz carton chicken broth

1 Box of Chickpea and Lentil Pasta spirals or your favorite traditional or plant-based pasta

Cut whole chicken into six pieces or buy precut. Season well with salt & pepper. Brown chicken with one teaspoon of coconut oil & olive oil in a hot sauté pan. Cut (mirepoix) carrots, celery, onion, and garlic while chicken browns. Add mirepoix to browning chicken. Add thyme & oregano, & cook vegetables for 5 minutes. Add a 1⁄2 cup of broth & scrape the brown caramelized bits left on the bottom of the pan. Transfer chicken to a second pot, cover with broth, add bay leaf & parsley, & simmer for at least 40 minutes; use a thermometer to ensure the breast is cooked at 160 and thighs at 185 degrees. Remove chicken & separate it from bones. Add browned vegetables & cubed cut raw potatoes to pot; continue to simmer vegetables for 10 minutes. Boil pasta al dente in a separate pot. Drain pasta, add a few dabs of butter & olive oil over the warm pasta; set aside in a serving dish. Garnish with fresh parsley, a sprinkle of oregano, and pepper to taste; serve with crackers or cornbread.