Yes, this is how I spent National Coming Out Day. I made soup. It was good soup, though, so maybe that makes up for not getting to participate in anything remotely "festive".
I'd like to think that the soup is subversive, too, in its own way. For starters, it isn't pretty. More than that, though, I think that recipes have become a bit of a problem. They're pervasive. They're invasive. It's to the point that I know people who have forgotten that the only real rule of cooking is to apply heat, and that their kitchens should be a place to experiment.
Well, this soup has been a weeks-long experiment. The reason for the experiment is that Winter will be coming soon, and if this year is like last year, our electric bills will quadruple. The point of the whole experiment has been to eat healthily, eat cheaply, and hope that it tastes good. And I think that the soup has, to one degree or another, met all three criteria.
And how to make it? What follows is as close to a recipe as you're going to get:
The necessities:
Skinless, boneless chicken. It doesn't matter if you use pre-skinned, pre-boned, chicken breasts, or left-overs from KFC, just make sure the skin and bones are removed. This keeps your soup from turning into a giant pot of appetite suppressant.
Salt. Sea salt is preferable. Have you read the ingredients on a box of table salt lately? I don't know what some of that stuff is.
Ground ginger, celery seed, and garlic powder.
Butter. Especially if you're only using white meat chicken. Don't add too much; you're just trying to add a little fat, not influence the flavor.
Carrots. The smaller they're chopped up, the better. And go easy. You just want a hint of flavor. Let's face it: Carrots aren't just starchy, they can be a bit obnoxious, too.
Water, enough to cook the whole mess in.
Parsley, mostly for color.
The options:
Russet potatoes. These aren't the most diabetic-friendly things in the world, but I can get them for less than 20 cents per pound, and they don't create the obvious symptoms of a glucose rise (for me) that I experience from pasta, beans, bread, or even sweet potatoes. It would be preferable if the potatoes were peeled and cut, in some fashion, but please at least wash your potatoes; they come out of the bag kind of filthy.
Cauliflower. Add it if you can afford it. Cauliflower has a lovely way of absorbing the flavors of the broth, and it adds a nice texture to the soup, providing that you don't cook it long enough for it to become mush.
Sweet potato. Again, not too much, unless you have no blood sugar problems and can afford a pot-load of sweet potatoes.
Freshly ground black pepper. Just a little. Some folks have sensitive stomachs.
The instructions:
Put ingredients in a big ol' pan for boiling. (If you're using cauliflower and potatoes, don't add the cauliflower until the potatoes are semi-done.) Boil it. Once the chicken is done (or after a reasonable amount of time, if you're using pre-cooked chicken), spoon out some broth, then cool it and taste it. If it doesn't taste right, figure out what you need to add more of. Repeat until the broth tastes good and all veggies/roots/tubers are done.
For the best taste experience, store your leftover soup in the refrigerator and re-heat it (or maybe even add more ingredients) the next day. The second cooking seems to intensify the flavors.
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