Chicken Soup

The beginning of October was rough as I caught a cold.  Everyone has their own special folk remedy for the common cold, and mine is a popular one: chicken soup.  But did you know that chicken soup is not just a "folk remedy" but one that has received (admittedly limited) scientific evidence for its effectiveness?  In short, it appears that chicken soup may have anti-inflammatory properties and helps relieve congestion.  An additional benefit for me, I find, is that chicken soup helps soothe my sore throat.  Psychologically, chicken soup is the ultimate comfort food, and it's one of those things that makes me feel better instantly.

At first I was purchasing soups from restaurants and supermarkets like Panera, Giant Eagle, and Eat 'n Park.  Then I wondered if I could make my own, and make it better?  Turns out I can, with a little help from this recipe and homemade chicken stock from Marty's Market in the Strip.

I doubled the recipe, and instead of using the chicken parts listed, I used a whole chicken and removed the skin before using it in the soup.  I also skipped the noodles just because I was more interested in chicken soup than chicken noodle soup, and also added a couple sprigs of fresh thyme during the simmering process that I removed before serving.  In the end, the doubled recipe, with meat from a whole chicken, yielded about 5.5 freezeable quarts of hearty, chunky soup that is far more delicious than its restaurant/supermarket counterparts.  I do think the chicken stock from Marty's Market made this soup particularly rich in flavor.  I am going to try making my own stock next, and will post it here if it turns out well, but I don't know if it will be nearly as good as Marty's Market's version!

Hearty Chicken Soup

And I swear, my cold was better in no time!

Recipe courtesy of:
Cooking Light (get the recipe here)