OK, I confess - this really isn't Grandma's exact recipe, which I remember so well from my childhood (as well as what I pass off as adulthood). Grandma's chicken soup was merely the inspiration for this version, which has been adapted by Corinne for these enlightened dietary times in which we are so fortunate to live. Besides, Grandma is too busy playing tennis these days to make soup anymore! Anyway, the rule with this recipe is that there are no rules - use the vegetables you like, in the quantities and mixture that you like. And experiment; if you make this soup the same way twice, you should consider yourself creatively challenged!
Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken breast cutlets
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
2 large red onions, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
black pepper (to taste)
sea salt (to taste)
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 package of fresh spinach
2 bullion cubes (Knorr chicken or vegetable)
Preparation
Remove any skin and excess fat from the chicken cutlets and cut them into medium sized cubes. Add all ingredients to a large pot and cover with water. Simmer 2 to 3 hours, until the mixture achieves a classic chicken soup-like consistency (thick and rich, but still "soupy")
Serving Suggestions
The soup can be served as is, or you can add barley, brown rice or pasta to it - any of which should be cooked and stored separately. If you refrigerate the soup, you can add the cold barley, rice or pasta when you're ready to reheat. This keeps it from getting mushy in the soup. Barley has the highest fiber of the three, and is therefore recommended. Brown rice is also relatively high in fiber, and all three are low in fat. Serve with your favorite whole grain bread, warmed in the oven. Grandma Brown would not recommend consumption of wine with this meal (or any other, for that matter). If you must, try a Pinot Noir - Cambria’s Julia’s Vineyard is a consistent winner.