CHICKEN SOUP, OLD SCHOOL
GRANDMA MADE EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH, AND WE’RE STILL TAKING CUES FROM HER IN THE KITCHEN.
CHICKEN, ORECCHIETTE, AND ESCAROLE SOUP
Ingredients
- 3 lb. meaty chicken pieces bone-in breasts, thighs, and/or drumsticks
- 1 large onion cut into thin wedges
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dried thyme crushed
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups water
- 10 cups torn escarole and/or frisée
- 1 cup thinly bias-sliced carrots
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 2 cups dried orecchiette pasta
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. In a 6- to 8-qt. pot combine the first seven ingredients (through bay leaves). Pour the water over all. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 1 hour or until chicken is very tender.
- 2. Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones. Discard bones and skin. Cut meat into bite-size pieces. Discard bay leaves. Skim fat from broth.
- 3. Return chicken to broth. Add 8 cups of the escarole, the carrots, and celery. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Stir in pasta. Simmer, covered, 7 to 9 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in basil and the remaining escarole. Top servings with grated Parmesan cheese. Makes 8 servings (about ¾ cup each).
THEN: SOUP FOR BREAKFAST? November 1954: It’s true that “soup is nutritious. When you put together refrigerator soup, the result is not only economical, but so good it’s hard to believe it’s a package of minerals, vitamins, and proteins. Added to … breakfast, it brings goodness plus.”
NOW: BROTH FROM SCRATCH Just ask Grandma: The best chicken soup starts with stewing bone-in chicken pieces in seasonings and herbs, resulting in a rich broth layered with flavor.
Our update is a cross between Italian wedding soup (minus the meatballs) and old-fashioned chicken noodle soup.
