ORIENTAL CHICKEN SOUP

Home » Food and Drink » Soups Join Sign in EzineArticles - Expert Authors Sharing Their Best Original Articles Search Harriet Hodgson Diamond Quality Author Diamond Author | 1,062 Articles Joined: May 26, 2005 United States Oriental Chicken Soup With Asparagus, Basmati Rice and Ginger By Harriet Hodgson | Submitted On November 03, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Expert Author Harriet Hodgson "I have a cold," my husband announced. This wasn't news to me. He had been sneezing loudly for two days and his sneezes could probably be heard in the next town. "You need chicken soup," I replied. "I will make some for dinner." Both of us had heard about the study that discovered chicken soup helped cure a cold. Maybe it would cure my husband. You may think making soup is easy, but making good soup can be a challenge. Soup has to be packed with flavor and have the right consistency. It is also an opportunity to eat more vegetables, something my husband and I have been doing lately. At first I thought I would make chicken noodle soup, but changed my mind. I would make the stock and see what developed. Grocery stores carry many brands of stock and most of them taste commercial to me. Besides, it is easy to make homemade stock. The classic stock is made with chicken pieces or a whole chicken, carrots, onions, celery, parsley, pepper corns and garlic, if you like it. All of the vegetables are discarded. But I was on the quick soup track. I put the chicken in the pot, filled it with water, covered it, brought the liquid to a boil, turned down the heat and simmered it for an hour. Instead of using vegetables to flavor the stock, I used salt-free soup base. After the chicken was cooked I removed it from the stock and let it cool. What kind of soup would it be? I opted for Oriental soup with asparagus, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. To save time, I used pre--chopped ginger from a jar. In a matter of minutes, the kitchen began to smell like a Chinese restaurant. Just as I hoped, the soup was delicious, nutritious and filling. My husband sneezed only once. Do you have a cold? Maybe it's time for chicken soup with an Oriental twist. Ingredients 2 chicken breast halves, bone in, skin removed 8 cups of water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 cup (one rib) celery, chopped 1 cup petite carrots 1 1/2 cups asparagus tips, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tablespoon sodium-free chicken base 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced) 1 teaspoon lower sodium salt 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded 1/2 cup Basmati rice Method Remove the skin from the chicken and rinse it. Put chicken in a stock pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Simmer for one hour. Remove chicken and shred when cool. Pour the stock through a fine strainer to remove any scum that has developed. Set stock aside or refrigerate until needed. Coat bottom of stock pot with olive oil. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add celery, carrots, asparagus, chicken base, ginger, garlic powder and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cooked chicken and rice. Simmer until rice is cooked. (You may substitute wheat noodles for the rice.) Serve with crackers or crusty rolls. Makes 8 generous servings. Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years and is the author of 30 books. Her 26th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation has published several of her books including "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life," a companion journal with 100 writing prompts, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul" and "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss." Hodgson has two other new books, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey," and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Both books are available from Amazon. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Harriet_Hodgson/7963 0 Comments | Leave a Comment Did you find this article helpful? 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