Build Your Own Chicken Soup

Well, it's a downright frigid 48 degrees here in San Mateo. No, sorry rest of the country, I didn't forget the negative. Here in California, us folk like to bundle up when it gets below 70. Well, some people. I actually love the cold....as most locals think I'm a freak when they see me walking my dog wearing shorts and a t-shirt when it's 45 degrees in the morning. But, back to the topic. During the winter months I love to make a variety of soups. This one happens to be one of my favorites because you can change it up and pretty much add anything you want. It's also a very quick soup to make and it freezes well....God bless Foodsaver©.

The model that I make is typically "Lemon Chicken Artichoke Spinach Tortellini Soup"....somehow that just seems a little too risque for the title.

As stated above, this literally takes less than an hour to make and cook before it's done. By the time you watch the "Soup Nazi" episode from Seinfeld twice, you'll be ready to go and slurping down some chickeny goodness.

Here's what you will need for my model. Keep in mind you can change up any part. Just don't add cilantro..I hate that stuff, oh yeah, no stewed tomatoes either..even worse than cilantro. Feel free to double up on the recipe as well. That way you can freeze some for when it hits -84 degrees in North Dakota.

1 Tbs Olive Oil

3/4 lb of Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Meat

1 Medium Onion, diced

1 Large Carrot, diced

2 Stalks of Celery, diced

1 Can or Jar of Artichoke Hearts in Water...NOT MARINATED!!

1 Handful of Fresh Spinach

2 tsp Fresh Thyme

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 tsp Dried Sage

6 cups of Chicken Stock (low sodium if you don't like your soup on the salty side)

Chicken Bouillon granules (if you are using low sodium stock).

1 8 oz package of your favorite Tortellini

2 Large Eggs

3 Tbs of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

Ground Pepper to taste

So, how do we start this liquid feast? Well, do you have knife skills? Yeah, me neither. I do have Cuisinart© skills though. That's right I know how to plug it in and press a button saving about 5 minutes and keeping all 10 fingers intact. So, toss your carrot(s), onion(s) and celery into the magical chopper and chop it up for a few seconds until your desired consistency. OR, you could even go the easy route and go to the store and buy a container of the french word they call m-i-r-e-p-o-i-x. It's fancy talk for stuff that makes your food taste good. So, when you have chopped up your veggies, toss them in stock pot with the olive oil and cook on medium high heat until the veggies start to get tender...usually about 10 minutes or so.

While waiting for your veggies to soften, take out your cooked chicken and start shredding that bad boy...make sure to save a piece or two for the dog...dogs like chicken. Mine likes to chase chickens too, but that's besides the point...back to the story. Once the chicken is shredded, place it aside.

When the veggies are good to go, add in 4 cups of the stock and your tortellini and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower to a simmer (maybe around medium low heat) and let it cook for about 10 minutes. While it's simmering, you can add most of the other ingredients. Add your chopped artichoke hearts, thyme, sage, old bay, shredded chicken and spinach.

While the soup continues to simmer, in another small pan, add the remaining one cup of stock and heat until almost boiling. Take your two eggs and whisk in a bowl. Add your lemon juice to the eggs. Once the cup of stock is hot, take off the stove and pour the stock into the egg and lemon mixture.

Finally, slowly add the egg/stock mixture to the soup while stirring. Turn the soup down to low and cook for an additional ten minutes.

Now is the time to determine if the flavor needs anything. If you used standard chicken stock, it likely has enough salt for your taste. If you are using low sodium stock, you may want to add either some sea salt or some chicken bouillon granules. Add slowly, stir and continue to taste until you get the desired flavor. You can also add additional lemon if you like more puckering flavor...I usually use about 4 lemons when I do a double batch. That's just me though...I used to eat raw lemons off the tree when I was a kid.

Enjoy! Tastes even better the next day after the flavors have a chance to meld.