Anything But Chicken Soup

Sometimes we all need a bowl of chicken soup. It can help cure just about everything or to quote Stephanie Lee..."It can fix most anything 'cept the break of dawn and a broken heart."

Having had a little procedure yesterday I was off my red wine diet and needed something that would go down easy. Even when you feel rotten chicken soup goes down easy. So whether you've had a bone graft, or feel a little flue-like this recipe will help to heal.

8 cups chicken stock (canned and boxed are never very good)
2 carrots diced
Celery leaves finely chopped
Parsley finely chopped
Fresh Dill finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic finely diced
1 onion cut into semi-small chunks
A little olive oil
Shredded chicken (optional)
1 lemon wedge per bowl

I tend to make my stock in advance and reduce it so that it is ready in the freezer for whatever is needed, but a great time to make chicken soup is the day after you have had a roast chicken. Thrown the bones in the pot with water and whatever else you have and boil it down for several hours. If you don't cook and want a specific recipe grab a cookbook. I never make it the same way twice.

In a large pot saute the onion in the oil 'til it begins to carmelize then add the garlic, just when your garlic begins to brown throw in the stock and all the vegetables. While that is coming to a boil it is time to make the noodles. Come on, you didn't think I was going to open a bag.

Grandma's Thumbprint Noodles
A pile of flour
An egg
Salt and black pepper

Crack the egg into the flour and salt it well, then grind in some pepper. Beat with a fork and begin to incorporate flour. It will get gummy then doughy. When it become doughy knead a few times until you have a nice dough that is not too sticky.

You can roll the dough out and cut into nice even noodles, but my Grandma Ett did it with her thumb. Take a little pinch of dough and squeeze/roll between your thumb and your forefinger. Set them aside until they are done and then drop into the boiling stock and vegetables making sure you stir so they don't stick together. They will be soft in about 14 minutes. Throw in the diced chicken if you have it, otherwise just ladle into a bowl and top with the diced herbs and a squeeze of lemon.

This goes great with a light red, or a rose, but if alcohol is forbidden due to a painkiller it's not bad with a bit of club soda and a splash of juice.

It doesn't cure everything, but it never hurts.

Myrna's Minnesota Minestrone

Most Minnesotans have gardens and lots of vegetables that they grow. Traditionally the vegetables are put in big paper bags and given to everyone they know. Bags of tomatoes and zucchini are brought to offices and neighbors and after a few salads a lot of folks are at a loss as to what to do with them.

Toss 'em in the soup pot, or even a crock pot and make a kick ass soup. After a long day at the State Fair or whatever other summer activity you enjoy it can be so nice to come home to soup, salad and a glass of wine. it is so easy to make this ahead and warm it up. This version does not have rice or pasta, but if you want some, add it. If you have a different mix of veggies that's fine too. If you live in one of those lands of long winter you need to eat those fresh veggies while you can.


1 - 1 cup Great Northern Beans (okay you can use any bean, but you are in the North)
6 ounces salt pork or chunk bacon
10 cups chicken broth (best if you make your own but the truly lazy can use the boxed)
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped (plus the leaves, they add great flavor)
1 carrot, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head savoy or curly cabbage, sliced
1 cup of garden green beans halved
3 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 cups fresh garden tomatoes
1 pound Italian Sausage browned (Yes you can use Jimmy Dean and it will taste fine, but really how hard can it be to get some hot Italian Sausage?)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish
Chopped basil or parsley for garnish

1 Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain beans, rinse, and place them in a large stockpot or crock pot. Add salt pork which has been chunked and browned and 6 cups of broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 90 minutes. (overnight in the crock pot)Keep an eye on the beans, if they need more broth add it.

2 Heat oil in a separate large stockpot. Add chopped vegetables (onion, celery, carrot, garlic,) and saute until lightly browned. Add remaining vegetables and tomatoes. Add remaining 5 cups broth. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3 Remove salt pork from beans. Dice finely. Transfer half of the beans to a food processor or a blender and blend into a paste. Add mashed beans to the vegetables. Add remaining whole beans, broth, and diced pork to vegetables.

4 Simmer 5 minutes longer. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve with a handful of brown sausage and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and the fresh herbs if you have them.

Serves 10-12, easily. (This recipe makes a lot of soup!)