Souping Up an Old Recipe
I love chicken soup. Usually I buy a large whole chicken and simmer it slowly to obtain a wonderful, richly flavored broth. But this takes at least 1 1/2 hours, and sometimes I don’t have that much time.
For those times, I use boneless chicken, fast-cooking vegetables and prepared chicken broth to make a satisfying soup in very little time.
Boneless chicken cooks in 10 to 15 minutes. To reinforce the flavor of the soup, I use good-quality commercial chicken broth as part of the cooking liquid. I prefer a variety made with little or no salt, not only for health reasons but also for better taste. Generally, I choose low-salt canned chicken broth or unsalted frozen chicken stock.
I keep the seasonings simple--thyme and bay leaf for a French touch, garlic when I’m in a Mediterranean mood, cumin for a Middle Eastern accent.
These soups make a perfect low-fat main course, especially when made with chicken breasts. For a richer taste and texture, I sometimes use boneless chicken thighs, which are now available in many markets. Whichever cut, I use skinless chicken to keep the soup’s fat content low.
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Since I like to turn my chicken soup into a full meal, I almost always add plenty of vegetables. There I have a variety of options because most vegetables cook quickly if they are cut into small pieces. Besides the usual soup vegetables (chopped onions, sliced celery, diced carrots, potatoes and turnips), I often supplement my chicken soup with less traditional vegetables. I might throw in small broccoli or cauliflower florets, red pepper strips, quartered mushrooms, sliced leeks, diced zucchini or spinach leaves. Occasionally I include frozen peas, corn kernels, lima beans or canned garbanzo beans.
Following this basic method, I also found it easy to prepare quick chicken noodle soup. I use fine noodles and cook them directly in the soup--to save time and an extra pot. To make chicken soup with rice, I cook rice in the broth for about five minutes before adding the chicken.
Fresh herbs make a tasty and attractive addition to quick chicken soup. Add whole watercress leaves or chopped green onions to each bowl, as Chinese cooks do, or sprinkle in some chopped parsley, dill or cilantro at the last minute.
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Leek and carrot slices contribute good taste to this easy soup. Even though it has noodles, the soup is delicious with crusty bread. If you like, you can serve the soup with a small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling.
QUICK CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP WITH BROCCOLI AND GARLIC
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken stock or 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth with water to make 2 cups
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup fine egg noodles or other thin soup noodles
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground pepper
Salt, optional
Quarter leek lengthwise, rinse well to remove sand and cut into thin slices. Combine leek, chicken, carrot, chicken stock and water in medium pan. Bring to simmer. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes.
Add noodles, broccoli, garlic and red pepper flakes and return to simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until chicken and noodles are tender, about 6 minutes longer. Stir in thyme. Season to taste with pepper. If broth is salty, do not season with salt. Makes 2 to 3 main-course servings, or 4 to 5 appetizer servings.
Each serving contains about:
427 calories; 911 mg sodium; 115 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 44 grams protein; 2.57 grams fiber.
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Serve this soup with crusty bread or pita, or with quick-cooking couscous or rice to add to each bowl. For a quick meal, prepare a diced salad of cucumbers and tomatoes while the soup simmers, to serve as a first course.
10-MINUTE MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN SOUP
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2x2-inch strips
1 sweet red pepper, cut into 1 1/2x2-inch strips
2 cups chicken broth, or 1 (14-ounce) can with water to make 2 cups
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
3 tablespoons chopped green onions or red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley, optional
Freshly ground pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt, optional
Place chicken, sweet red pepper, broth, water and cumin in pan. Bring to simmer. Skim off foam. Add zucchini and return to simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken, zucchini and sweet red pepper are tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in green onions and cilantro. Season to taste with pepper and cayenne. If broth is salty, do not season with salt. Makes 2 main course servings, or 4 appetizer servings.
Each main course serving contains about:
205 calories; 864 mg sodium; 75 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 36 grams protein; 0.67 gram fiber.
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