editors' tips: chicken soup, the jack of all plates
I make a lot of soup. (I know, I'm a player. Don't hate.) Pretty much every week, I make a chicken soup and that becomes the basis for a lot of other meals. When my twins were six months old and ready to eat real food, I thought chicken soup would be good for them. The only problem was I'd never made it before, so I called upon my grandmother, Santa Alfieri, and she told me how: Get a couple pounds of chicken legs and thighs, put them into a pot with two diced carrots and celery. Add enough water to cover the chicken by an inch. Bring it all to a boil before adding salt, pepper, and a bay leaf. Then, simmer for about 45 minutes. Throw in some pasta and, "Voila!" It's so easy I can make it before I go to work in the morning without being late.
When my kids were still on mushy food, I would throw the soup (with pasta) into the food processor to make a puree. They went nuts for it. Then, I'd do the same thing with vegetables for a chicken/veggie puree. Since they don't eat a ton of the broth, I use the extra as the base for other soups like pasta fagioli or minestrone. I also make a tasty chicken salad from it by shredding the meat and mixing with diced celery, mayo, salt, and pepper-often the perfect weekend lunches for my husband and me. Making chicken soup (and being resourceful with it) makes me feel like such a mom!
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