Winter Chicken Soup with all things Good

When I am sick, a hot bowl of pho usually turns things around. But there is no pho delivery near here and Michael has gone to college and when I am sick, I don't like to drive. Necessity is the mother of invention. Last week, when all my children were sick, they wanted pho. But I couldn't leave them to go get it. So, I played around with various web recipes and my own memory of how it should taste. We usually get beef pho, but I thought a chicken based soup might be even more therapeutic. This recipe is kid-tested to rave reviews. Even my pickiest eater wanted it again the next day. This makes a whole lot--perfect for a house full of sick kids to eat over a couple of days.

2 large organic roasters
3 sweet onions
1 head of garlic (more or less)
three stalks lemongrass
tablespoon diced ginger
teaspoon salt
1/2 c Asian fish sauce
1 pound of thin rice noodles
1 package ready-to-eat baby spinach
bean sprouts
cilantro
chili paste with garlic
fresh lime wedges

Cook organic chickens (I did two, but one would have been enough) with onions and lots of garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and a little salt, in a very full pot of water. Let the chicken cool in the broth. Pick the chicken from the bones and dice.Strain the solids from the broth. Soften rice noodles in hot water, according to package directions (time will vary depending on the thickness of the noodles). Add Asian  fish sauce. Add some "chili paste with garlic" to the broth, according to taste. Add the chicken to the broth.Add baby spinach to the broth and heat until the spinach wilts.  Drain the noodles.  Put some noodles and some bean sprouts in each bowl. Ladle the soup over the top. Garnish with lime and cilantro and pass the chili paste. Very healing.:-)

Comments

[Niama Perrotte]

I like this website. I am going to use the Winter Chicken Soup with all things Good recipe. The Pho sounds good to store after using it for taste.