The deep belief in the healing power of chicken soup may well be one of the most universal concepts in the world’s cuisines.
No matter where on this globe one happens to be, if there are chickens in the barnyard and sick people in the house, there will be chicken soup in the pot. The details and flavorings that go into that pot will vary, depending on the culture and the cook, but the faith in chicken soup as a curative power really has no territorial boundary.
And is there any better time than in the winter to have a pot of chicken soup simmering on the stove?
(READ MORE: Homemade chicken soup when there’s no time for homemade)
The really interesting thing is how completely our strong emotional preferences with this soup give away our cultural background, a fact brought home by a recent conversation with a couple of friends in Nashville — a husband and wife — who have lived around the world and love to cook foods from the various countries in which they’ve lived. But when the conversation turned to chicken soup, a line in the culinary sand was drawn as her usual tolerance for his curious cooking experimentation ran dry.
When he tried adding rice, it was the last straw.
“Rice!” she grumbled. “Can you imagine? Chicken soup is supposed to have noodles in it. Period!”
That pronouncement was startling, as I grew up with chicken and rice soup as well as chicken and noodles. What childhood wasn’t complete without a can or two of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup in the cupboard?
As we’ve aged and tastes have changed and we’ve become a bit bolder in our cooking, chicken soup has evolved, this ranch chicken noodle soup being an example.
But never mind how you make it, with noodles or rice or just a clear chicken broth, there’s one thing that marries them all: Chicken soup speaks to something deep in the soul.
Ranch Chicken Noodle Soup
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cheese soup
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup evaporated milk
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup cooked chopped bacon
8 ounces thin egg noodles, uncooked
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a large pot, combine cooked chicken, cheese soup, chicken broth, milk, chopped celery, sliced carrots, ranch dressing mix, poultry seasoning and bacon bits.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Stir in dried noodles and shredded cheddar cheese. Cook for 5 minutes or until noodles reach al dente stage.
Serve warm with crusty bread for a complete meal.
NEW ICE CREAM
Is there ever a bad time for ice cream? Even during the frigid months of winter, it never fails that I go by the ice cream freezer and see people reaching in and pulling out gallons of the creamy confection.
Now shoppers at Walmart have more to cheer about when they visit the ice cream freezer. For the next 10 weeks, the chain will be debuting a freezer full of new flavors from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a chain that began as a food truck in New York City in 2008 and now has scoop shops in seven states.
The new flavors are:
— Champagne: Exactly what it sounds like.
— King Cake: Sweet cream ice cream with yellow, green and purple swirls and cinnamon blondie cake pieces. Perfect for having in your freezer to celebrate Mardi Gras.
— Red Velvet: Red cream cheese ice cream with brownie pieces throughout. Think Valentine’s Day.
— Chocolate Covered Strawberry: Again, treat your Valentine to chocolate ice cream with strawberry pieces mixed in. Romantic, right?
(READ MORE: Remember when, Chattanooga? Did you ever get ice cream at the Dairy Gold?)
Get ’em while they’re cold. They won’t be around for too terribly long but will stay great in your freezer for a long while.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.