Chicken soup for everything

Wars, pandemics, near-record level inflation, conspiracies and protests - there is a lot going on in the world right now. This chicken soup is for all of that, and whatever else might be going on in your own life too. It's good for everything.

Research by some very sensible person was done a while ago about the healing properties of chicken soup - and while I don't remember the exact details, it was proven to heal. Which is no surprise to grandmothers, mothers and any other people out there that care through cooking. No doubt there's all sorts of wonderful bacteria, good for your gut, not to mention collagen and prebiotics. But forgetting all that, it just tastes amazing. Grab a bowl, relax, and enjoy!

Try this chicken soup recipe

Non-negotiable ingredients:

1 whole chicken (free-range is best - I like Waitoa - but you do you)

2 brown onions, roughly chopped

2 -3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 carrots, cut into small chunks

2 whole celery stalks, with leaves, cut into small chunks

Dried or fresh herbs (thyme, marjoram, parsley, sage, oregano - a mix of one or all of there, you can't go too wrong)

Salt and pepper

Negotiable ingredients:

(Think of this as a chance to clear out what's festering in the bottom of your vegetable drawer)

Add things like:

Root vegetables - parsnips, potatoes, kumara

Other vegetables - cauliflower, pumpkin, cabbage

Add ins - barley, lentils, rice, pasta (all options work well, get creative or just use up what you already have to hand)

Method

1. Poach the chicken

Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and the whole chicken to a large pot, and cover the chicken with cold water. The chicken should be fully submerged and have a few centimetres of water covering it over the top, though it will float up, and that's fine. Place your pot on a medium heat and bring the mix to a boil, then tun it right down and let it simmer.

2. Add in the extras

After the chicken soup has had about an hour of simmering, it's time to add in some extras - but you'll need to do a bit of maths here... if you're using lentils or barley, they'll need about 40 mins or so until they're tender. While rice and pasta will need more like 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the pasta). The chicken itself should simmer for about 90 minutes all up. So work backwards... decide when to add the extras depending on how long they need, and how soft you like them. Don't forget to add in any last vegetables too, depending on how you've cut them up, allow for 15 mins or so.

3. Remove the chicken and shred the meat

While the soup is still simmering use tongs to carefully lift out the whole chicken. Put it onto a plate or bowl and leave it to cool until you can safely start pulling the meat off (I use kitchen gloves or two forks for this). When you have every scrap off, quickly shred any large pieces and add all the meat back to the soup. Season with salt and pepper, and add any fresh herbs right at the end so they stay green. Serve it up with a generous side of your favourite bread - and I guarantee you will instantly feel better!