Grandma's Chicken Soup

Hannah and I have been sick this weekend. Not desperately ill, just annoyingly sick enough to have drippy noses, pathetic coughs and some aches and pains. And just sick enough to lose our sense of taste - no Easter chocolate for us this weekend, it just didn't taste right.


Instead we both wanted soup, and lots of it. Grandma's chicken soup to be exact. I don't know what it is about chicken soup, it's renowned around the world for it's healing properties.

Grandma's chicken soup really is chicken soup for the soul - and the body. Long revered for it's healing properties, chicken soup is the best cold and flu treatment available. And you can make it right in your own kitchen, for just a couple of dollars.

And if you're not sick, even better. You'll really enjoy the warming flavours of this delectable dish.

Ingredients:
4 carrots, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 onions, diced
6-8 parsley stalks, chopped
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 chicken, size 18

Method:
1. Put a small quantity of each vegetable aside. Put the remaining vegetables into a large pot, add the parsley, black peppercorns and the bay leaf.

2. Put the whole chicken into the pot and add the salt. Add just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from heat
And allow to come back to room temperature.

Put a dinner plate over the chicken and vegetables to hold them down in the broth.

3. Put the whole pot into the fridge. When the fat hardens, skim it off with a spoon.

4. Take the chicken out of the pot and pull it apart. Put the meat on a plate and set asisde. Put the skin, bones and fat back into the pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 hour.

5. Cut the cooked chicken meat into bite sized pieces.

6. Strain the contents of the pot. Keep the liquid but add the vegetables, bones etc to your dog's dinner (take out the bones first) or to the compost.

7. Just before you are ready to eat, simmer the reserved vegetables and liquid for about 5 minutes then add the cooked chicken.

8. Warm the soup through and serve.

Note: This recipe costs around $1.20 per serve. You can cut the cost to just 40 cents per serve by using chicken frames (from the deli or butcher) and one chicken breast fillet in place of the whole chicken.