It’s been a season of salads and sandwiches for us. Mostly because both things are really easy to throw together- but they’ve also become monotonous and dull. We’ve broken things up with a pasta dish here and there, but mostly, it’s been a salad, sandwich, pizza, pasta parade over and over and over. Add to that, one very busy four day weekend where the fast food drive thru was essential, and, well, we’ve not been feeling very nourished.
One of the best things we’ve found when we are feeling less-than-stellar health-wise is to make a great big pot of soup. Clearly, summer time is not the ideal soup season, but sometimes, you just have to throw caution to the wind and try to make a summery version of soup. The most important part of this pot of soup though, is the stock. It’s absolutely essential to make a rich stock using bones- preferably from a free-range or organic specimen. A rich stock made properly is loaded with vitamins and minerals that our bodies can easily and freely digest. In addition, a well-made stock also is loaded with electrolytes- essential to our bodies in times of strenuous use. (You know, the stuff that is added to sports drinks to keep athletes going!)
So yesterday I took a free-range, organic chicken out of the freezer and proceeded to make a nourishing homemade stock from the chicken. I added an amazing bouquet garni made from just about every herb I have in the garden, and then a little later went “shopping” in the garden for vegetables to add to my soup. I found a zucchini, swiss chard, kale, and green beans to add to my soup, and from the pantry I added barley, Great Northern beans, and some sun-dried tomatoes. A little salt and pepper and some garlic, and we had a wonderful pot of summer minestrone that went right to our cores and flooded our bodies with the nutrients that we’d been missing.
Adding the Kale and Swiss Chard to soup is something fairly new to me- and I’ve decided it’s a brilliant way to use it, because my kids are not fans of greens. When I cook them in a pot of soup, the cooking leaches out all those amazing vitamins and minerals and deposits them into the rich broth- which is the part my kids will lap up with a nice piece of bread. The Sun-Dried Tomatoes were also a new addition to my soup pot this time around, and boy, did that add a delicious layer of flavor! I will definitely be adding those again- and often!
This recipe for Chicken Stock is not the one I used this time, but it is delicious. Adding the vinegar to the stock as it is cooking helps to draw the essential minerals out of the bones and into the stock. It’s such a small amount of vinegar, really, and you certainly don’t taste it in the finished product. This recipe comes from the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, a worthwhile book to have on the shelf. One of these days I’d love to have a whole buffet of stocks frozen in the freezer…
Chicken Stock
1 whole free-range chicken or 2-3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as wings, backs, necks gizzards and feet from 1 chicken (optional) 4 quarts cold filtered water 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped 3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped 1 bunch parsleyDirections:
If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and gizzards from the cavity. By all means, use chicken feet if you can find them- they are full of gelatin.
Cut chicken parts into several pieces. Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar, and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add the parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions into the broth.
Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass, reserve for other uses. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your fridge or freezer.