Chicken Soup, Many Ways

MAKES: 4 servings

TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 cup raw or cooked chopped boneless, skinless chicken, or more
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley, dill, or cilantro leaves for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put the stock in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. When it is just about boiling, turn the heat down so that it bubbles, but not too vigorously. Stir in the rice, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are all tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken. If it is raw, cook until it is cooked through, another 5 to 8 minutes. If it is cooked, cook 2 or 3 minutes, until it is hot. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Garnish with the herbs and serve.

VARIATIONS:

• Chicken Soup with Vegetables: Omit the rice and add up to 1 1/2 cups mixed 1/4-inch diced vegetables, like carrots, celery, onion, turnip, parsnip, zucchini or yellow squash, or potato; sliced mushrooms; peas or corn kernels; thinly shredded cabbage, bok choy, or greens. Add the vegetables to the stock by cooking times, starting with the harder, longer-cooking vegetables like carrots or potato.
• Chicken Soup with Rice, Mexican Style: Omit the carrot and celery, if you like. Add 1 cup diced tomatoes along with the chicken. Then add 1/2 cup minced raw white onion, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste, 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, or more to taste, and minced fresh jalapeños or other chiles to taste (optional) just before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Chicken Soup with Rice, Chinese Style: Add 1 teaspoon each minced fresh ginger and garlic with the chicken. A cup or so green peas (frozen are fine; add at the last minute) or chopped mushrooms are a nice addition (added during the last few minutes of cooking). Season with a couple tablespoons soy sauce and a lot of black pepper and stir in 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil if you like.
• Chipotle Chicken Soup: Add 4 to 6 dried chipotle chiles, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Soak the chiles in just-boiled water to cover until soft, about 20 minutes; drain and use a knife to slice open and scrape out all the seeds and remove the stems. Put the chiles, garlic, tomato paste, and oregano in a blender or food processor and purée; add only enough chicken stock from the soup to get the purée going. Add the chipotle paste to taste to the soup or pass it with the soup servings.

9 SIMPLE ADDITIONS TO CHICKEN SOUP: 

When it comes to chicken soup, the question is not “What can you add?” but “What can’t you add?” Here are some ideas:

• Fresh herbs, especially dill, parsley, or chervil, but almost anything else, including tender sprigs of watercress or arugula, added at the last minute
• Spices, especially ginger, chiles, garlic, or other strong spices, added with the rice
• Any croutons (see page 877) for garnish
• Any cooked grain, like rice (white, brown, or wild), wheat berries, barley, quinoa, or others
• Leftover chicken, grilled fresh chicken, small cubes of raw boneless chicken (which will cook in 2 minutes), or any other poultry, added when described in Step 2
• Small pieces of rind from Parmesan cheese (along with the stock) or grated cheese for garnish
• Precooked vegetables of any type, as long as the flavor does not conflict with that of the soup; onions, carrots, and celery are almost always appropriate, added at the last minute and just warmed through
• Cooked tortellini or other small stuffed pasta, added at the last minute and just warmed through
• Poached Eggs; after dividing into bowls

NOTE:

Adjust the seasoning and quantities according to personal preference. Enjoy your homemade chicken soup!