Chili Country Store
January 9 , 2025 The Beacon • 25
Soup can warm you up , bring comfort this winter
On the rare occasion I am home for a day , I almost always make soup . The kind of soup varies depending on what I have sitting out on my counter and in my refrigerator and freezer . There ’ s nothing like chopping onions and garlic , sautéing them in butter and oil , and then building flavors to make a steaming pot of soup . The aroma fills the house and makes it feel cozy and warm .
My dad made a killer chicken soup I often try to replicate . Notice the word try . As much as I ’ ve made versions of his delicious soup , I ’ ve never quite captured the flavor he could put into it . He ’ d chop a bunch of onions ( which is why I ’ m always chopping lots of onions to make my recipes and I blame it all on him ), cook them in some butter and oil , and add in carrots , celery , chicken bouillon and water .
He ’ d add in a whole chicken that slowly simmered , becoming tender until it fell apart when he lifted it out to take the meat off the bones . To the broth , he would add everything from potatoes to noodles . As he ladled out steaming bowls , it just felt like all was right with the world .
The nice thing about using a whole chicken is the fact the soup also contains dark meat , which remains tender and juicy no matter how long it cooks . Consider making this recipe when you crave comfort and joy amid the snow and ice this month can bring . Dad always added his noodles to the soup before serving , but I make them separately and add them to the bowls before serving . This keeps them from overcooking .
Another soup I love to make is butternut squash soup . I ’ ve tried many ways of making this soup . My current favorite way is to cook the butternut squash and a chopped apple or two ( adds a touch of sweetness ) to the Instant Pot , then puree the squash along with chicken broth and different spices before putting it into a Dutch oven or soup pot , adding in coconut milk or milk to simmer . It is hearty and filling and so easy to make . You also could cook the butternut squash in the microwave or the oven . I ’ ve done both , and they work well .
Broccoli cheese soup is another favorite . I ’ ve tried many recipes through the years , and this is the current recipe I use . It is a copycat from Panera Bread . It is hearty and comforting .
Try making these soups . They will warm your body and your soul .
DAD ’ S CHICKEN SOUP Whole chicken 1-pound carrots , chopped in soup-size pieces 1 / 4-piece celery bunch , chopped Yellow onions , cut into soup-size pieces Tablespoon butter Tablespoon olive oil Cloves garlic Chopped bay leaves Tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon dried parsley or a whole bunch of fresh parsley Water to cover chicken or use broth and eliminate bouillon 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon 4 ounces cooked egg noodles
Remove the innards from chicken and rinse the cavity . Rinse the body of the chicken as well . Add onions , carrots and celery to the soup pot .
Sauté until tender . Place the whole chicken in the soup pot . Add parsley . Add garlic . Fill the pot with spring water 2 / 3 full , leaving room in the last 1 / 3 of the pot . Make sure the chicken is fully submerged .
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat , reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 1-2 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked through and broth is flavorful . You test the chicken by pulling a piece off the bone . It should fall right off the bone , be super tender and no longer pink . This typically takes 90 minutes , but if your chicken is closer to 5 pounds , it may take 2 hours .
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the soup to cool down slightly .
Remove the chicken from the pot with tongs and place in its own container . Shred the chicken you would like in your soup and set aside .
Skim fat off the surface of the broth . Add shredded chicken back into pot . Simmer for 1 hour . Serve , adding in cooked noodles to each bowl along with the soup . Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary .
( Recipe adapted from https :// abraskitchen . com / homemade-nourishingchicken-soup-from- scratch-using-a-whole- chicken /.)
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP 1 butternut squash 2 cups chicken stock 4 cloves garlic , peeled and minced 1 carrot , peeled and diced 1 Granny Smith apple ( I use whatever apple I have on hand ), cored and diced 1 white onion , diced 1 / 2 teaspoon salt , or more to taste 1 / 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , or more to taste 1 / 8 teaspoon cayenne , or more to taste 1 / 2 cup canned ( unsweetened ) coconut milk Optional garnishes : extra coconut milk and a sprinkle of smoked paprika ( or cayenne pepper )
Prick butternut squash , cut off the top and place in the Instant Pot . Add chopped apple and onion and garlic . Add 2 cups of chicken stock . Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes . Turn to venting for quick release and then take off the lid and allow to cool for a bit . Take out squash and cut in half . Take out the seeds and then scoop out the flesh . Put apple and onion and flesh of the squash and liquid into a blender ( only fill half the blender at a time ) or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth . Put back in soup
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pot or Instant Pot and add coconut milk and seasonings , adding more to taste .
If cooking squash in microwave , put it in a glass baking dish or on a plate , prick it with a fork , and then cook it for 15 minutes until tender . If cooking in an oven , prick it with a fork and put it in the oven at 350 F for about 45 minutes to an hour . Then proceed by putting flesh , onions , garlic and apple , and stock and seasoning into a soup pot on the stove and cooking until all is tender . Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup and then add in coconut milk ( I ’ ve used regular milk if I don ’ t have coconut milk on hand ) and simmer until warm .
( Recipe adapted from www . gimmesomeoven . com / instant-pot-butternut-squash-soup /.)
BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP 1 / 4 cup butter 1 medium chopped onion 1 / 4 cup flour 2 cups half & half cream 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
1 / 2-pound broccoli ( about 3 cups ), chopped into bitesize pieces 1 cup carrot , julienned ( can buy matchstick carrots in produce section ) 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese ( 2 cups ) Salt and pepper
Dutch oven
Melt the 1 / 4 cup butter and sauté the onions in the butter until soft . Sprinkle the flour over the mixture . Cook and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes . Whisk in the half & half and chicken stock . Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium . Add the broccoli and carrots . Cook over mediumlow heat for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender .
Add salt and pepper . You can leave the soup chunky or blend about 1 cup of the soup and stir it in for a smoother soup . Return to low heat and add the cheese . If your heat is too high , your soup can get grainy .
( Adapted from www . the-girl-who-ate-everything . com / panera-broccoli-cheese-soup /.)
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