Chicken Soup- For What Ails You

Last year I made a recipe for Turkey Noodle Soup (recipe is on the blog) with all the turkey we had leftover from Thanksgiving and it was good but this recipe for Chicken Soup is great! I needed to whip up something to cure this nasty cold that Billy was so nice to share with me and since I had a little chicken from McDowell Family Farm in the freezer I thought why not whip up some chicken soup- it can't hurt! We don't eat a lot of meat, mostly just what I can get local but thanks to the McDowell family and their wonderful chicken I might just out smart what's ailing me! Enjoy!

Here's how to start:

In a large soup pot add-

1 whole chicken w/most of the skin removed (my chicken was local, organic and weighed under 3lbs)
1 large onion, quartered
2 large carrots, chopped in big pieces
4-5 stalks celery, cut in half
1 whole head of garlic, remove the outside skins
2 tsp. peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 gallon water

Simmer at medium heat for 1 hour. Turn off the heat, remove the chicken and place him or her on a plate to cool (when cool, pick off as much meat as you can, reserve for the soup). Strain the cooking liquid and the vegetables through a strainer- reserve the cooking liquid and the garlic. Set those two things aside and discard the rest.

-Chicken Soup-

4 carrots, diced
8 stalks of celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
herb bundle (1 medium sprig rosemary, thyme and sage. Tie together w/kitchen twine)
olive oil
salt and pepper
reserved cooking liquid
reserved garlic
chicken meat
*optional- cooked pasta of your choosing (Billy request tiny little pasta called Stellette)

1. In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat, when you can smell the oil add the carrots, celery and onions. Saute until the veggies start to soften (about 10 minutes), season with salt and pepper. Next add the reserved garlic and stir to combine.

2. Next add the reserved cooking liquid, and the herb bundle. Turn the heat up just a bit. When the soup begins to boil turn heat back down to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. When the 30 minutes is up add the chicken meat and the fresh garlic, stir to combine. Check flavor to see if you need more salt and pepper. Take out the herb bundle and discard.

4. Serve hot just like it is or w/a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and if using, your pasta of choice.

Serve it Cordray style: 1/2 c. Stellette pasta, ladle over warm chicken soup, squeeze a slice of lemon over soup and pasta, top w/huge handful of arugula and sprinkle on some Pecorino Romano. VIOLA!