Chicken soup is one of the oldest “home remedies” around. Sometimes referred to as an old-wives’ tale, chicken soup is thought to “cure” the common cold. Does it really cure anything?
Well, for starters, it can’t hurt. We are told to drink plenty of clear fluids when sick to encourage the flow of mucus. Chicken soup has a lot of broth! And, who has not heard of the anti-germ properties of gargling with salt-water? Well, chicken soup is very salty. And maybe a cup of tea could do this trick too – but the steam may help clear sinuses.
It is also a food that is somewhat easy to eat to keep your strength up when you are sick and not feeling like you have much of an appetite.
But, apparently, there are more complicated reasons it may help reduce the symptoms of a cold or flu. It appears to have anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine qualities as well.
While some store-bought soups will work just as well, sometimes, on a cold winter day when everyone is sneezing and coughing, this soup is a nice thing to have on the stove-top brewing all day:
Rotisserie Chicken Soup:
1 small pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, meat cleaned off and about half of it chopped in small chunks – preserve the bones, wings, and skin
2-4 carrots
3 stalks of celery – some leaves too
One large yellow onion
Dry or fresh herbs like
Thyme
Rosemary
Sage
One Red pepper
32 ounces of store-bought chicken stock in a box (like Swanson)
One small container of dried tortellini
Place the bones, skin, and wings cut up into a pot of about 4 cups of water (so the bones are covered). Add some herbs that you like, 1/3 of the onion in large chunks, one carrot in large chunks, and the celery leaves and “ends” and one stalk cut up in large chunks. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2-3 hours on the stove. Add water if the bones are not covered.
Strain the cooking liquid and discard the bones and skin and large vegetables, etc. Add liquid back to a large stock pot and add the rest of the carrots, celery, onion, and pepper all diced, some more herbs to your taste, salt and pepper, chicken meat chunks and store broth and boil. Reduce heat and slow simmer another 60-90 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until pasta is done – about 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite rolls and a salad.
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