Jewish grandmas have gotten in knock-down, drag-out fights over the final bowl of my supreme, virus-fighting chicken noodle soup.

More than one bubbe has ended up with an orthopedic shoe imprint on the back of her blouse as she tried to score just one last bowl of that magic potion.

If you have faults, defects or ailments including but not limited to rheumatism, arthritis or the occasional case of the dropsies then this soup will cure whatever it is that’s ailing you.

Are you headachy or just plain grouchy?

Constipated?

Got a case of lazy blood?

Flu bug got a hold of you?

Maybe you just don’t feel right.

Then spend the afternoon in the kitchen making this soup and you’ll be up off your fainting couch in no time

A Recipe For Scrumptious Chef’s Virus Fighting Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 lb chicken, white and/or dark meat, roasted or smoked, chopped
1 c. onion, yellow, chopped
2 c. mushrooms, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 T. ginger, fresh, minced
4 each jalapenos, chopped
1 T. red chile flakes
1 c. wine, white
3 T. butter, unsalted
2 t. pepper, white
1 t. pepper, black, coarse grind
2 quarts, stock, chicken (or if you have it: Master Stock)
1 Maggi chicken bouillon cube (Maggi cubes are little umami bombs, you may substitute 1 T. Better Than Bouillon)
1 T. soy sauce, we use Kim Lan brand
8 oz angel hair pasta or vermicelli
1 bunch, onion, green, chopped
salt to taste

(Homemade stock) is really important. As the old lion of French cuisine Auguste Escoffier remarked in his 1907 work, A Guide to Modern Cookery, ‘stock is everything in cooking, at least in French cooking.

Method

In heavy-bottom stock pot melt butter

Add yellow onion and mushrooms, cook slowly til deeply caramelized and walnut brown in color

Add celery, garlic, shallot, ginger, jalapenos and red chile flakes

Cook 15 minutes

Add white pepper, black pepper and chicken, cook 5 minutes

Add white wine, cook 15 minutes more

Add stock to pot, bring to boil, add Maggi cube, cook til dissolved

Add soy sauce

Add pasta and green onions

Cook til noodles are creamy (between 5 and 10 minutes)

Cooking notes:

I smoke an entire chicken over hickory coals once a week and have for nearly 20 years. If you don’t have time to roast or smoke a bird just pick up a rotisserie at your supermarket

Always save the carcass to make your homemade chicken stock

Substitute dried hominy or medium grain rice for the pasta if you’re of a mind, either would be terrific

A little splash of fish sauce would not hurt this formula at all

Sometimes I tighten the broth up with a fat dollop of roux right at the end of the cook

Leeks also go great in this recipe

This recipe will not be that much better than the best chicken noodle soup you ever ate

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