Bonnie Stern travels the world for flu-fighting chicken soups,
JEWISH CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
When you make a clear soup, cook noodles separately to prevent soup becoming cloudy.
1 4lb organic or naturally raised chicken, cut up, or use wings and legs 3 qts water 2 onions, quartered 3 ribs celery with leaves, sliced 3 carrots, sliced 2 parsnips, sliced, optional 1 bunch parsley 1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste
to serve:
8 oz medium or thin egg noodles or curly egg noodles
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, optional 1. Place chicken pieces in a large pot and add cold water just to cover. bring to a boil and skim off froth that rises to the surface. Add onions, celery, carrots, parsnips, bay leaf, parsley and a little salt and pepper. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently 11/2 hours. 2. Strain soup. you should have about 8 cups. reserve some carrots, parsnips and celery from soup. discard chicken skin and bones and reserve meat. If you are serving soup right away skim fat from top with a big spoon or, cool and refrigerate overnight and discard the solidified fat from the surface. 3. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling, salted water. When tender drain and rinse. 4. To serve, heat soup with vegetables and chicken and season to taste. Place some noodles and dill in each serving bowl. Pour hot soup and over noodles. 8 to 10 servings
VIETNAMESE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
The kitchen smells so delicious when cooking this soup you may be tempted to change grandmothers. rice stick noodles are slightly wider than vermicelli (which only take three minutes to soak and do not need cooking). If you do not have cooked chicken, add a chicken breast or leg to the broth at the beginning and simmer gently 20 to 30 minutes. discard bones and skin, slice meat and return to broth. 6 cups chicken stock 1 inch piece ginger root, cut into quarters 2 whole star anise 1 cinnamon stick handful cilantro stems or roots, well-washed 4 oz rice stick noodles 1/2 lb bok choy 2 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce 4 oz bean sprouts, trimmed sprigs of cilantro and Thai basil
1 medium-hot red chile, thinly sliced, optional
1 lime, cut into wedges 1. bring stock to a boil with ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick and cilantro roots. reduce heat and cook gently 20 minutes. 2. Soak rice stick noodles in boiling water 10 minutes. drain. Cook in boiling water one minute. drain and rinse. 3. remove spices and roots from soup. Add cooked chicken. Add bok choy and fish sauce. Heat. Season to taste. 4. Place noodles in each serving bowl, top with bean sprouts, cilantro, basil and sliced chiles. Ladle in hot soup. Serve with lime wedges. makes 4 to 6 servings
CHICKEN CONGEE
Congee is like main course rice pudding. (If you don’t have homemade stock or cooked chicken, use water in Step 2 with 2 lbs raw chicken pieces. After one hour, remove chicken, discard bones and skin and add meat back to soup.) 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, smashed 1 onion, chopped 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into thin matchstick or chopped 1/2 cup sticky rice 1/2 cup basmati 2 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce 8 cups chicken stock salt to taste 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded to serve: 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp lemon juice 1. Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Cook gently 5 minutes. 2. Stir in rice. Add fish sauce and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, 1 to 11/2 hours or until rice is very thick and tender. 3. Add cooked chicken. Heat thoroughly. Thin with water if necessary. Season to taste. Combine soy sauce with lemon juice and drizzle a little over each serving. makes 8 servings