Chicken Soup (and Variations)

When Elsie was really little, chicken soup was one of the only things I made that she ate voraciously.  I just put it through the blender for her, and she loved it.  I'll list my basic recipe first, then add a variation that tastes even better.

Basic chicken soup: 

Ingredients

• Chicken broth (home-made is way better, but if it's not possible, do half canned, half water) 
• Chicken pieces
• 1 head escarole, washed and chopped up
• 3-5 carrots
• 3-5 stalks celery (you can use the greens, too)
• 1/2 onion
• Potatoes (cut up) or rice or pasta
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method: 

Bring your stock to a boil

Throw in your starch first (potatoes, rice, or pasta) and cook until cooked through

Add carrots next, then celery and onion.  When these are cooked through, add chicken pieces and heat through, then add escarole at the very last minute.  It cooks fast

Salt & pepper to taste

Serve!

Even Better Chicken Soup: 

Add in some or all of the following:

• cooked pork sausage
• fennel bulb pieces
• cooked or canned beans (I like white beans the best in a soup like this)
• kale
• a pinch of hot pepper flakes

This is a GREAT way to reinvent a leftover dinner of beans, greens, and sausage from a previous night.


Notes: 

• Most nights, my toddler will eat at least some of what is in this soup.
• Kids are very texture-oriented, so pasta will probably work better than potatoes and rice if you're making it for kids.  If you're a super fun parent (more fun than I am), you can even buy stars or letter pasta.  Otherwise just use whatever is in the pantry.
• The amount of broth isn't really important.  Just use at least enough to cover all your non-leafy-green ingredients. The greens can stick out in a thicker soup.  For a thinner one, just use more broth.  If you don't have enough, top up with water, then taste to see if you need to salt it a bit more. 
• If you are missing an ingredient, no biggie. Just go without.  If you have something else you wan to throw in, go for it!  Soup is so very flexible.