Saturday, April 04, 2020

Easy, Fast Lockdown Chicken Soup

In the past month I've made chicken soup 3 times and its the best and easiest I've made in my life. Every boucherie in Paris has a rotisserie setup out front offering made-daily ready-to-eat whole chickens and parts. Plus the chicken fat drips down onto cutup potatoes if you're so inclined. On March 13th (pre-lockdown) I spotted a nice organic COOKED rotisserie chicken in Monoprix. It was either buy an utterly delish but one-meal salmon sushi roll or the chicken. The chicken won. For reasons unbeknownst to me chicken soup is not the go-to 'panacea for all that ails ya' as it is in the US. La Grand Epicerie does not offer take-away ready-made chicken soup. Chinese takeout shops have shrimp ravioli noodle and Shanghanese(sp) soup(hot and sour) but no chicken soup. It is a mystere especially when it's been noted in some medical circles to clear the upper respiratory passages. In France you simply have to make it yourself. The first recipe to greet you on Google is Martha Stewart's of course.
Thank you Martha ! It works easy peasy.
The big change with a rotisserie/barbecue chicken is you won't  be skimming fat off the top. The fat already landed on those potatoes at the bottom. And you won't have to worry about flavor. And its already COOKED = big time-saver.
I added in a Monop soy sauce and preserved ginger packet for extra oomph (optional). I won't copy out the complete RECIPE here.
Basically add 7-8 cups of cold water + 3-4 smashed garlic CLOVES + a teaspoon of kosher/sea salt. And your cooked chicken. Voila. Put the lid on slightly ajar and let it come to a boil.
Meantime chop up your onions (or 1leek) + 6 carrots.
Add to the pot once the chicken has come to a boil and simmer till fork tender. Leave the lid slightly ajar.
Turn off the heat and let cool a bit before you start removing the meat from the bones PLEASE. Do not go moving a hot pot around either PLEASE. I'm not insured.
Return meat to the pot and serve. A very easy flavorful soup indeed. Bear 🐻liked it👍🏻 Here's my other frequent companion. Stay home please PBers. And MAKE A MASK if you can't buy one which you can't here. Xxx ❤️ PS I ran out of flat leaf parsley and added arugUla as a green.

33 comments:

  1. PSS I tried sautéing the leeks. Don't bother.
    You could be watching a movie on Netflix instead.
    Try Unorthodox. A gripping tale 👍🏻

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  2. Stay safe, and bon appetit!

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  3. Unorthodox is riveting:)♥
    For lighter yet excellent Julian Fellowes fare..The English game.
    Love your version w/ soya and ginger.I miss my rotisserie chicken..I can make 3 meals..the chicken..and carcass are priceless..Except in my daughters family they need 3..

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    1. Oh thanks Monique
      Is it hard to find a grilled chicken there?
      But of course..oh well. I'm not a recipe writer..

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  4. This sounds so good! Made a Trader Joe's run yesterday and got an Empire kosher chicken. Will make soup! My husband insists on any meat we eat being kosher.

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    1. Thanks, but is it already grilled?
      There will be FAT to skim off Etc.

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  5. Sounds delicious! You have inspired me.

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  6. this soup sounds so yummy especially with the leeks
    thanks for sharing
    gonna make this soup as i have respiratory issues even on a good day during change of seasons....
    hope you are well and creating lots of beautiful art

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    1. So glad to hear Mary,
      I often have this for breakfast when Its a bit chilly out.
      Very fortifying.

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  7. Maria W12:05 PM

    I love that last pic of the bird
    i scatter bird seed and shelled peanuts on our front lawn every morning
    it brings blue jays, doves, sparrows and 7 squirrels....
    that and some incencse and classical music is how i get the day started on a positive note

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    Replies
    1. I only have pigeons, crows and sometimes even gulls!
      Still they are living and breathing ❤️
      Very grateful 🙏🏻
      I give them oatmeal and pumpkin seeds like Google says

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  8. Kathleen C12:09 PM

    Again..you are a gift to all of us! Thank you.
    I will make the soup this week and my husband is picking up the scarves and larger bands (a pkg of large scrunchies would work well) at the drugstore.
    Tres Bien! Merci!

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  9. M. Dunk12:11 PM

    Best chicken assemblage !

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  10. Dorrance12:28 PM

    Carol....you may want to change “garlic heads” to garlic cloves!! Whew...3-4 heads of garlic would make one pungent soup!!

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    1. Oooo la la !
      Will go fix right now
      Mille Merci 💋

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  11. Ellen H1:41 PM

    Save me a bowl, I’ll be right over!
    ;-)

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  12. Kathleen H1:45 PM

    Please invite me over - hah! Your bowl of soup looked so yummy!! I actually have made it recently too...have not used leeks (may get some today).

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    Replies
    1. I think we have to wait for this rendezvous Kathleen a bit...

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  13. I was just thinking of making chicken soup but never thought of using rotisserie chicken so I will definitely try that - much easier. Stay well & safe & give Bear a hug from me - one for you too, Carol.

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  14. Your link to the DIY mask webpage is the most helpful I've seen. There's a solution for every skill level. Thank you1

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    1. www.Masks4all.co is a terrific site
      Glad you liked it Nancy 👏👏👏

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  15. Carolyn6:36 PM

    Looks yummy! Good job!
    Only error I noticed was the spelling of arugula but maybe it is arugala in French.

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    1. I like my way Better 🎉🥂😄
      more Feetive!
      AruGALA

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  16. It's interesting which foods are along the healthy/make you feel better strain, here it's also chicken soup. I'm actually going to make a vegetarian version today, vegetable and lentil soup. Great minds think alike! Stay stafe Carol and bear.

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  17. Bonelle9:39 AM

    That looks SO fabulous I can almost smell it! We need soup in a crisis...it warms your soul! I think that crow on your roof must have been drawn in by the aroma.

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  18. Lara Larsen9:41 AM

    The flavor must be out of this world! Looks like Bear really enjoyed it. You are the Martha of Paris!

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  19. That sounds good and the rotisserie chicken idea is brilliant. Thanks for this one. Bear eats well. SO do you!

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    1. Yes Bear is the demanding one.
      So glad you like it Jeanie.
      If I buy a whole chicken it gets soooo boring and I end up throwing some away. But chicken soup does not!

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  20. Glad to see your posts as I take them for proof positive that you are A-ok. The rotisserie chicken that is in every supermarket here is my all-time favorite go-to for chicken soup but I love the chicken so much I eat it for several meals and freeze each carcass till I have 3-4 and make stock from them…leading to many a chicken soup bowl. Of course, I have the luxury of a full-size standing freezer for both carcasses and stock and finished soup. I have never seen potatoes at the bottom of the supermarket rotisseries. Get with the program, American supermarkets!

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    1. The really good potatoes have garlic and parsley too. Yum yum
      Fortunately they are not near my house...so far away.
      Well...so I didnt invent nuttin
      Me, yes I am fine but I am sooooo lazy. Like a bum.
      Today I am going to be PRO-ACTIVE dammnit.

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  21. Debbie5:29 AM

    I can not tell me how cheerful your emails are. They put a smile on my face. This one arrived on my birthday. I love how you have arranged the ingredients as if a still life.
    I had also purchased a roasted chicken, I eat the meat, so I saved the bones, put in my Instant Pot for an hour, and had the best stock. So thanks for the idea.

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