Souper Man!

Zuppa di Pollo Allo Zenzero con Annelletti

Ginger-Chicken Soup with Annelletti

It's hardly surprising, considering this truly miserable weather... but folks- I have managed to come down with a cold again! This from the man who had not had a cold in maybe 10 years... and now has one for the second time this year! So of course it had to be a chicken soup this evening, after having spent the day in bed shivering!

I decided to keep it simple- the classic vegetables, some chicken on the bone (until it fell off!) and some added ginger to hopefully help keep my cold at bay... as well as adding some great flavor! A snap-decision had me adding a couple of handfuls of Annelletti into the rich broth, little pasta rings that are a Sicilian favorite... and my supper's fate was sealed! Chicken-noodle soup it was to be- and what not to like?

It didn't take much meat to make soup for one person- this was just 1 chicken thigh, which I brought to the boil and let simmer for 4-5 minutes. I removed the scum which floated to the surface and then added my vegetables, in this case carrot, celery, celeriac and peas. I added plenty of chopped parsley, 1 small finely chopped clove of garlic and about 1" of finely chopped ginger- no onion at this point as I wanted to add leeks and Spring onion later and didn't want them to overcook completely. I brought this all to a gentle simmer and let it bubble away for around 45 minutes. 

After that time, the meat was cooked through and fell from the bone with very little effort. I plucked it apart into more manageable chunky and returned the pieces to the broth. At this point I also added the noodles and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. I added a little Chinese 5-Spice powder too- just a teaspoon, as this went wonderfully with the ginger and the hint of star anise gave it a wonderful aroma. 

10 minutes later I added the sliced leeks and Spring onion, stirred everything through and the continued boiling for a further 5 minutes. And that was it! I added some of those lovely, intense, pale leaves from the inside of my celery and a little more parsley before serving- as well as a generous pinch of chili flakes! I needed some warming and this did the trick just nicely... and so deliciously! And being as chicken soup is THE only good thing about having a cold, I was happy that I made it especially good this time! Here's to hoping I feel better tomorrow!