Life-Giving Chicken Soup

Broth. Brodo. The perfect harmony of warming, nourishing ingredients. Gently simmered to infuse the liquid with delicate vitamins, minerals and life-giving nutrition from a simple mix of basic vegetables and bones.
Its always been my favourite food, as I child I would ask for my birthday dinner to be a big steaming bowl of “brodo” with rice. Being a June baby, this heated meal would dismay my family members, but nothing else would suffice…I wanted soup!

When cooked with enough love, patience and know how, it can be the perfect thing to resurrect you from a cold, flu or even a bad day. So grab a glass of wine, put on some Etta James, and make a big pot of chicken broth.

The following recipe is for my basic chicken broth, which I make on a frequent basis in the colder months and have stored in my freezer at any given time. This recipe is a mix of my mother’s, a classic clear french consume, as well as some personal added flavour enhancers and immune-boosters.

Please feel free to play around and add different spices and herbs, there’s really no wrong way to go about it. Just remember the basics: at least add the holy trinity (onion carrot celery) and if adding bones, let cook for a minimum of 1.5 hrs. Also, remember to continually skim the surface for impurities coming from the bones. This stuff is all the toxins that you don’t want in your body.
This recipe can be used as a base for anything ! Roast some squash and make a purée soup. Use as the base for a tasty risotto. Add some pastina and beaten eggs with Parm for stracciatella soup. Sip in a mug when you have a cold. It is a life saver.