This week I have had a cold. So, while avoiding each symptomatic detail, just know that I was thinking about chicken noodle soup right away.
Chicken soup is a classic cure for the cold for several reasons. Increased fluid intake helps thin the mucus (which is my #1 priority so I can breathe while sleeping), but also as explained further in this article from BBC Good Food, chicken soup is full of minerals, phytonutrients, easily digestible calories, glucosamine & carnosine, plus nostalgia if you were soothed by chicken noodle soup as a kid (so…placebo?).
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links; I may earn a tiny commission from purchases.
I’m not here to argue for or against traditional remedies, I’m just here for the food, so I got my supplies ready: 2lbs bone-in chicken drumsticks (my favorite), plus chicken gizzards & hearts, a yellow onion, and garlic. I’m going easy on the aromatics because I can’t taste them, but also I am not going to expose myself to the public just for some celery and carrots. I’ll use what’s at home…and hey, local healthy people -you’re welcome.
Chicken stock is the base of this soup, so it needs to be good in order to work its magic. I was wondering about different variables when I found a fantastic article by Serious Eats. The author, Daniel Gritzer, documents broth changes with different parts of chicken and different aromatic formats. So I’m going to use his recommended ratios to get this party started in my #26 Le Cruset dutch oven (5.5 quart capacity). If you’re curious, I’m using commercial gizzards that are already clean; so if you’re buying gizzards outside of a grocery store –ask if they’re clean or if the butcher can clean them for you.
Also, this recipe features two of Dr. Cate Shanahan’s Four Pillars of World Cuisine (meat cooked on the bone and offal). If you’re into the documented effects of nutrition on human health, check out her book Deep Nutrition which is also available on Audible.
Double Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken drumsticks
- 1 lb chicken gizzards and hearts
- 2 quarts water (eight cups), and 4 cups water
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp mushroom base
- 1 serving linguini, broken and uncooked
- 1 tsp Tony Chachere’s
- (optional) 1 tsp curry -or- 1/2 tsp turmeric & 1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions
- Place drumsticks, onion, and garlic in a stock pot, cover with 2 quarts water.
- Simmer for two hours, don’t skim.
- While stock simmers, place gizzards in pressure cooker (chopping gizzards into smaller pieces is optional -I’ll chop mine next time).
- Add water to cover (approx. four cups).
- Pressure cook gizzards 25 minutes on manual high pressure.
- When stock has simmered for two hours, remove from heat.
- Skim the stock, discarding the findings (including onions).
- Remove drumsticks from stock, discard bones and skin.
- Add broken linguini to stock, stir.
- Return drumstick meat to stock, apply low heat.
- Drain pressure cooked gizzards, add to stock.
- Add mushroom base, Tony Chachere’s, and curry. Stir and bring to medium heat.
- When pasta is soft, remove from heat and serve.
- Enjoy!
Note: Linguini was measured via pasta spoon – just fill the hole with as much dry pasta as will fit. Also, if you’re not into gizzards, they can be omitted. Lastly, this is better leftover!
Lady Jupiter 