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Jewish-style chicken soup
I want to make sure I get myself and my family through the winter without succumbing to every cough, cold and sniffle going around work and school but I am a single mum with three kids and cannot afford a lot of the supplements you recommend each week. There must be a poor man’s solution?
Every week, winter and summer, come rain or shine, I make a vat of good old-fashioned Jewish-style chicken soup, which is not only cheap, delicious and nutritious; it works to help prevent those minor but irritating infections you are talking about.
Even better, it could not be simpler or quicker to make. All you have to remember is for the best flavour, you need to make it the day before you want to eat it and keep it in the fridge overnight so you can skim off the fat before re-heating and serving. To make a meal of it, serve with vermicelli pasta in the bottom which my daughter loves.
All you need is a large saucepan, two large quarters of chicken, carrots, celery, a root vegetable such as swede or parsnip, parsley and an onion - plus good quality chicken stock cubes from your local deli.
I favour a bucket method of cooking, so never weigh anything but chuck what looks like the right amount into the saucepan, add three pints of stock and bring to the boil before simmering the soup for several hours. The only thing you need to watch is that you don’t cook it for so long the liquid turns cloudy, which will spoil the flavour. Three hours is usually about right.
The reason this soup is known as Jewish penicillin is because it works in the body to clear mucous, making it the ideal meal if you already have a cold or other respiratory infection and since it is rich in immune-boosting collagen and stress-busting B vitamins, it can help ward off ailments that you might normally succumb to over the autumn and winter months.