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February may be at the tail-end of our so-called
winter in Louisiana, but I can remember some very cold
snowy and icy days while working for Piccadilly
Cafeterias in Springfield, Missouri, back in the late
eighties. I met my friend Anna Lee Johnson and her
husband Willis while working in the cafeteria. They were
frequent customers and we became great friends over the
years I was there. They often provided me with elderly
wisdom, which I certainly valued. I’d like to think that
I provided them with a little spark of the fountain of
youth with my enthusiasm for life – so the friendship
was wonderful. While living in Springfield, I came to
really appreciate what we had to offer at home in
Louisiana and moved back after 2 years of living up
north. Sometime after I moved back home, Anna Lee called
me and asked if I had a good chicken soup recipe. At the
time I didn’t, but went straight to the kitchen and
created this recipe for her. Willis has long since
passed away, but Anna Lee and I have kept our great
friendship intact over the years. Several times a year,
I send her a care package of food via express mail, and
there is certainly always some Chicken Soup for the
Tummy enclosed. This very light and flavorful soup is
seasoned with fresh herbs and vegetables. It’s great for
one of those cold winter days up north or down here in
the south, is healthy, and will warm your tummy.
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- ˝ bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 Tbs. garlic, chopped
- 1 chicken, cut up
- 2 quarts water
- 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 4 bay leaves salt
- cayenne and black pepper to taste
- brown rice or whole wheat pasta, cooked
- In a five-quart stock pot, heat olive
oil over medium high heat.
- Sauté onions, celery, bell pepper, and
carrots for five minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté an additional five
minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients except rice or
pasta.
- Simmer on medium to low heat for 30-40
minutes or until chicken is tender enough to
remove from bone.
- Remove chicken from soup, de-bone, and
cut into bite size pieces. Set chicken meat
aside.
- Add bones back to soup and simmer on low
another thirty minutes. Add more water if
needed.
- Remove bones, herbs, and bay leaves from
soup.
- Add chicken meat and simmer on low for
ten minutes.
- Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve
with brown rice or pasta.
Chef
Don Bergeron February 1, 2007 |
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