Chicken Soup

I have a friend who's ill with a serious digestive issue (already lost a lot of weight), and we are having some cool weather (lows in the high 50s and highs around 80 defrees F). This harmonic convergence can mean only one thing - It's time for chicken soup! The soup is simmering on the stove as I speak.

Although I don't really have a recipe, here's as close as I get.

Minimum Hassle Maximum Yum Chicken Soup

I start with a medium sized whole chicken (whole chickens are way cheaper than cut-up here).
Section the and rinse the chicken (remember to carefully clean everything after this mess).
Cover with a few inches of water in soup kettle.
Bring to boil and simmer about 45 minutes.
Remove the gross grey foam that floats on the surface.
Add a bunches of parsley carrots and celery and an union cut into big chunks.
Throw in a few bay leaves (I pull them off my tree).
Simmer this mess for 2 to 3 hours or more.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a tray to cool, and strain the broth. Add salt to taste. I always end up adding than I'd have guessed I needed.

Pick the meat off the bones. Either store the meat seperately, of freeze with the broth. It's your choicce. Since I am not a boiled chicken or chicken salad fan, I give the meat back to the broth. It freezes well that way.

Let the broth cool in the refrigerator or freezer and skim off the fat. This step is important if the soup meant is for someone with a digestive problem. Fat doesn't digest easily. However, when I plan to use the soup with meat as the main course of winter meals, I leave some fat in the broth to make a hearty stewish soup when I add noodles or potatoes.

This should hold us until Gazpacho weather arrives.

So, what's the big deal about chicken soup anyway?

The way I view the world,we have two types of people in our lives; people who bring chicken soup when we're sick, and people who don't. At this point, I want to be on the soup-bringing side. While I am looking toward a summer of very little paid employment, that is one practice of being a useful person I can fulfill.

That's my story and have some chicken soup, it couldn't hurt!