Post-Debate Chicken Soup

It's good for you and soothes the soul, especially if you're thinking He With The Worm Supposedly Removed is the next POTUS. Or the Orange Narcissist.

Supposedly Biden had a virus. He should eat some of this soup:

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs or pieces--I used organic chicken thighs ("Bio" chicken in Germany. I've also tried making this with a "Suppenhuhn," literally a "soup hen," meaning a somewhat "mature" or elderly hen that would be too tough to eat if baked.)

If you want chicken melting off the bones into lovely little pieces that flavor the soup, forget the Suppenhuhn. I got a frozen one at my local Rewe--defrosted first, and it did make a very good broth, but in the end the chicken didn't break up--might as well have been rubber. Tossed it. 

Pack of "Soup Greens"--another German specialty. Everything you need! A leek, a few chunks of celery root, carrots and parsley. Of course you can buy all these separately and substitute other vegetables if you wish. 

Water--a large Dutch oven is the way to go. Arrange the chicken pieces at the bottom, fill 'er up with water. And here is the very important part: add nothing else. Yet. I'll tell you when.

Chicken or veggie bouillon--about a tablespoonful. To taste. 

Juice of one whole lemon. Essential.

Your first job is to bring the chicken to boil and then keep at a high simmer for a long time. Two to four hours. The other ingredients--yes, everything--come much later, and don't add the parsley until the last minute. Details below:

Once you've put the chicken and water on the burner, cover the Dutch oven for about five minutes, then tilt the lid slightly so that a little steam escapes and the water doesn't boil over. 

About every fifteen minutes, skim the scum off the top. This is ideal: 

Skim that scum, rinse the sieve, repeat, repeat, repeat. Easy to multitask--write, iron, vacuum and just come back to skim the scum until finally it disappears and you have chicken broth and fat and no scum. Cover again, tilting the lid again, and keep cooking till the chicken starts to get soft and it looks like it's about to slide from its bones. 

Meanwhile--you're rinsing the carrots (no need to scrape them; the nutrition is better if you don't, but do rinse and cut off the ends), likewise rinse the leek and celery root and parsley. Set aside the parsley and chop everything else and add it to the soup. Stir. Cover, tilting lid again. 

At some point add the lemon and stir. If you can poke at the chicken with a wooden spoon and break it up, do so. Add the bouillon. Slice the parsley--best way is just one stroke, not a lot of chopping, and medium-sized pieces. Add. 

Pour your soup into a pretty bowl. This is important too. Consume. Yum!

I usually have about two servings. When the pot cools down, put the rest in freezer bags--you'll have three or four. So good for those times when you're trying to keep body and soul together.