Cure-All Chicken Soup

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I cannot stop eating this soup.  It’s brothy, spicy, and loaded with all the good things.

I suppose I have to include a disclaimer about the name so I’m not practicing medicine without a license …but you’ll want to be stocked with ingredients as the cold winds of November blow in, especially for anyone north of the 40 degrees latitude.  Just sayin’.  Boil those chicken bones and freeze the stock, you’ll be glad you did.  They’ve been doing studies to determine what it is about chicken broth that helps with colds, something provable.  Read the article from the New York Times “Well” blog about chicken soup.

 

This cup of comfort contains all the heavy hitters—Chicken Broth to loosen the gunk, Garlic which boosts the immune system and helps with respiratory troubles, Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and helps with nausea, and the spicy Jalapeño and Cayenne add vitamin C and help clear sinuses.

Good stuff.

 

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On a seemingly unrelated note, my friends who own and run the Dug Road Inn are making their way towards retirement and have put their fabulous creation on the market.  If you’re looking for your next stage of life maybe this is the knock on the door you’ve been waiting for.  Here I am in their kitchen during a wedding I catered this summer, the kitchen where they make their knock-your-smartwool-socks-off breakfasts…did you know that breakfast can include a dessert course?!?

 

More shots from summer weddings at the Inn, you can see the Italianate villa in the background.  Small town life may be something to ponder as you battle traffic in the work commute.

 

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It’s a good daydream!

 

 

This soup is my version of an old recipe from Cafe Beaujolais which is a version of the Northern Chinese classic Hot-and-Spicy-Soup. My cilantro in the garden actually survived a night in the low 20’s a couple of weeks ago, a surprisingly tough little herb for how fragile it becomes after it’s picked.  May you all be as surprisingly tough as we head into these chilly months.

 

 

Cure-All Chicken Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

 

Sauté:

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Garlic, minced

1 Jalapeño, seeded and minced

After a couple of minutes, add:

1 cup Bread crumbs—I use Udi’s Gluten Free Bread to make the crumbs

2-3 teaspoons Ginger, grated, or Ginger Juice

Sauté for a few minutes then add:

5-6 cups Chicken Stock

Sea Salt to taste—around 1 teaspoon but it depends on the saltiness of the chicken stock

Dash of Cayenne

Simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let set for a few minutes so it is not boiling.  The eggs will curdle if the broth is too hot.  

Slowly drizzle in while whisking constantly:

2 Eggs, beaten

Whisk until the egg is incorporated.

Add:

1 bunch Cilantro, chopped

Juice of 3 – 4 Limes (1/4 – 1/3 cup)

Serve warm. 

Get lots of sleep in this dark time of year, it really does help.  

 

 

That cute cup made by my friend and artist Zoe Klosterboer.

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