Creamy Turmeric Chicken Soup

You don’t want to hear my life story, but sometime last winter I had a cold, my wife had a cold, just about everybody had a cold. I had a couple of pounds of Amish-raised chicken and decided that a chicken soup would be the perfect tonic for our sniffling. My next thought was, “why not put all kinds of healthy stuff in there as well?” I had some very fresh (dripping wet fresh) ginger on hand, fresh garlic, etc. and I just figured I would make something a little creamy with lots of turmeric and herbs.

The result is the recipe below, and it turned out to be surprisingly delicious. I love it when a “food experiment” turns into something you will want to make again and again.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 carrots

• 2 celery stalks

• 1 large onion

• 3 cloves crushed and minced garlic

• 2 tbsp grated ginger

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp butter

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 2 tbsp turmeric powder, or grated fresh turmeric

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• salt to taste

• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup couscous, orzo, or pastini

Print

Directions

• Make a mirepoix by combining carrots, celery, and onion in a blender or food processor and chopping it all up
• In a large dutch oven, heat oil, then add butter and melt in
• Saute the mirepoix until the onions soften
• Add garlic and ginger and fry until they release their aromas, usually a couple of minutes
• Add the turmeric and blend it all together. If it looks dry, add more oil or butter.
• Add the chicken broth and bring it to a bubble, then add the chicken, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper
• Bring to a boil, then add the couscous and boil for 6 minutes, stirring often
• Pour in the cream and reduce the heat to medium low or low (whatever gives you a bit of a bubble) and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
• Serve

That’s it! Give it a try and let me know what you think in the Comments section. If you improve this recipe (real chefs use the word elevate) then let me know. Together we can make a fine soup that will be great for sick days and those where we feel great.

Keep on cooking!