Soup for the Sick

I've been home for the past couple of days trying to get over whatever sickness I have caught. Nevertheless, being ill will not thwart my cooking efforts. I'm a big proponent for feeding your illness, so I decided to concoct a hearty and healthy soup for the sick. It's a slightly different take on chicken noodle soup, which many Jewish grandmothers and mothers recommend for the ill. I like this recipe because any cook can adapt it to their tastes by taking out or throwing in additional ingredients. Enjoy!

Please don't let the long list of ingredients deter you from making this soup. It has a rich flavor and a nice kick from the pepper flakes.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 glugs of olive oil
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, halved and quartered
• 2 celery stalks, halved and chopped
• 2 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1/2 tsp of dried red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups of vegetable broth (low sodium)
• 6 cups of chicken broth (low sodium)
• 1 cup of grilled chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces (I used pre-grilled chicken breasts pieces from Costco and then chopped them into small bites)
• half of a head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped in to small florets
• 2 handfuls of small spinach.
• 6 oz of partially cooked egg noodles (for 5-6 minutes so they don't get overcooked once you add them to the soup)
• handful of green onions, chopped for garnish (optional)

Method

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan on the stove top and add the salt. Once the oil is hot (but not steaming), add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and saute for 10 minutes. Then add the oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vegetable and chicken broth, and cook until a boil and then reduce heat to medium low, so that it simmers. Let soup simmer for 15 minutes. After it simmers, add the chicken, cauliflower, and broccoli and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Taste the broth and add whatever additional spices you desire. Right before you think the soup is done, stir in the spinach for a minute until wilted, and then add the noodles. Make sure to cook the noodles for only a minute or two in the soup and then turn down the heat to low or off in order to not over cook the noodles. Ladle into soup bowls and add green onions for garnish. ENJOY! =)