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The comfort of soup

Published Date
Author Aimee

by Aimee

We’ve finally pulled out of a ten-day bout of sickness, that, combined with the frigid weather, kept us housebound. Thank goodness for the distraction of the Olympic games and thank goodness for homemade soup.

I haven’t looked into the numbers or statistics (but I’m sure Danny has…), but this feels like the coldest winter in the last ten years or so. I think most of North America feels this way. A popular canned soup company reported a 71% rise in their quarterly profit so I guess we’re not the only ones craving a hug in a mug.

A simple recipe for chicken noodle soup kept us going despite high fevers and chest coughs. The boys and I simmered it together for lunches; I’d chop the parsley while they broke up the spaghetti, and we’d talk our way through the steps so they could learn.  Then we convivially spooned up the soup while perched on sofas and cheered on our athletes in Sochi.

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

Cooking together as a family doesn’t always happen under ideal circumstances. Today over on JamieOliver.com I’m sharing about bringing kids in the kitchen even when we’re not feeling our best. There’s a comfort to be found in cooking and baking, and what better place to cure what ails you than in the heart of the home.

From the post:

“So what happens when the family core falls under the weather? I’m speaking from experience when I say that we just feel like huddling under a quilt until it passes. But we need nourishment and it doesn’t come from a box or a package. Home cooking can still happen when we’re feeling unwell, but recipes need to be absurdly simple, like today’s homemade chicken noodle soup.”

Read the rest over on JamieOliver.com and get the recipe for Simple Chicken Noodle Soup.

Simple Kitchen Tip: How to break long pasta for soup

It’s the easiest thing in the world, but I thought I’d include a tip for quickly breaking up pasta for chicken noodle soup. The end result is nearly perfect one-inch lengths without pasta flying everywhere.

How to break spaghetti for soup

Step 1: Working with small bunches, break pasta into a bowl. (Kids find this tremendously fun, by the way.)

Step 2: Use a wine bottle or a jar to crush the pasta in the bowl. Press down and give the bottle a quarter turn. It will ‘grind’ down the pasta. Stop when the spaghetti is a suitable size.

And there you have it. Now don’t miss my (super simple) soup over on Jamie’s site.

Are you craving soup, Spring, or both?

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The comfort of soup

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