When we first moved to the Mountain many years ago we all got terribly sick. All winter long, first one and then the other was sick with every new virus we encountered. We started taking Airborne, Emergen-C, and in the midst of all that illness I invented this soup. Yes, the garlic amount is crazy but necessary for the proper virus-killing effects. If it really does intimidate you then just adjust to your family’s tastes. You can leave out whatever you see that you detest but try to add in some other vegetable that provides those nutritional benefits. The cayenne pepper is important too. I add more the sicker we are and less if I’m just making this for company.
As my friend Susan warns on her blog (http://wildlifeinthewoods.blogspot.com), this soup takes about an hour of prep work due to the chopping, but it is worth it. I’m making a pot today to eat now and save in the freezer for later if and when that pesky E1N1 comes to get us. We may not have herd immunity but ladies and gentlemen we have this soup. And either way, I promise that after you eat this soup no vampires will get you!!
Chloe’s Virus Killing Soup
One chicken
Appx 15-30 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Tbs salt
3-4 Thyme sprigs
Cayenne pepper (to taste. I use about a tsp)
Fresh Rosemary sprigs
Fresh ground pepper
Place chicken and other ingredients n a soup pot (I use my pressure cooker) and cover with water or chicken broth (I really like those boxes of organic chicken broth). Cook on stove top until chicken starts to fall apart. Remove from heat. Strain out chicken and stuff and set aside until cool enough to chop. Reserve broth for next step.
1 large onion (coarsely chopped or sliced)
1 fennel bulb (sliced thin)
1 leek (sliced thin)
4-6 stalks of celery (coarse chopped)
large red pepper (coarse chopped)
1/2 lb. carrots (coarse chopped)
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 C good White Wine
salt and pepper
Place oil in bottom of large pot and heat. Add onion, fennel, celery, pepper and leek and sauté until onion just transparent. Add wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Cover the vegetables with chicken broth from chicken–add more broth from can or box if you don’t have enough broth from chicken and simmer veggies until just tender.
Frozen green beans
Frozen peas
zucchini
flat leaf parsley (chopped)
1-2 cans chopped tomatoes with juice
salt and pepper to taste
Add these above ingredients and simmer until everything is tender. Add chopped chicken, salt and pepper to taste.
You can also add cabbage with the end ingredients if you like (I do!), or any other veggies your family likes. Sometimes I’ll throw in whatever is in my veggie bin in addition to the above.
The next day add egg noodles and turn it into chicken noodle soup.
The Chloe Chronicles 