Sad, Sick, and Making Chicken Soup

I’m on day four of a spring cold. Feeling pretty sorry for myself—and honestly, I’m in a lot of pain from a stubborn sore throat.

I struggled through a remote interview today, and I’m still swamped with work even though my layoff is on the horizon. I couldn’t go in today—physically, I just couldn’t—and being home alone left me feeling stir-crazy.

I’m exhausted. Physically, emotionally, all of it.

So I decided to make chicken soup.

Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • Water (enough to cover chicken)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • ½ onion, left whole

  • 6 whole peppercorns

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • ½ onion, small diced

  • 3 celery stalks, small diced

  • 1 large carrot, small diced

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • ½ tsp turmeric powder

  • 1–2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

  • 1 carton unsalted vegetable stock

  • 2 cups egg noodles

  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

  • ⅛ cup fresh dill, finely chopped

  • Zest of 1 lemon

  • Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, add the chicken breasts, enough water to cover them, the bay leaf, the half onion (left whole), and the peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and dice it. Strain the broth and set it aside.

  2. In the same pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sweat the diced onion, celery, and carrot with the sea salt until softened, about 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic, turmeric, and ground pepper. Cook for another minute until fragrant.

  3. Pour in the strained broth along with the carton of vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer.

  4. Add the diced chicken back to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Then stir in the egg noodles and cook for another 7 minutes, or until noodles are tender.

  5. Stir in the green onions, parsley, dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

  6. Serve warm. 

The turmeric is in there to help soothe the throat, and the warm broth helps ease congestion. After an hour—and a bowl of soup—I had enough energy to go for a short walk. Not a cure, but it’s a start. 

Photos: Chicken noodle soup ingredients and final product. Taken by me.




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