Chicken Soup

Chicken soup can be made so many ways with so many twists on it. Everything is according to what you like...

What you'll need...

CHICKEN: a whole chicken, a package of thighs, or rotisserie bird from the grocery store. Skinless doesn't work that great for soup, the fat gives it flavor and has medicinal enzymes that work with your immune system a.k.a Jewish penicillin.

1 can stewed diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bulb roasted garlic (chop the top off the bulb, wrap in tin foil, stick in 375 degree oven 40 min)
1 lemon, quartered
1 heart of celery with tops, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro *or* 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 diced jalapeno (don't worry about spice, it boils out) *or* 6-8 fresh basil leaves
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 cup frozen white corn
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/4 cup frozen peas
3 tbsp coarse sea salt
1-2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 carrot diced

In a large soup pot boil the chicken until fully cooked. Remove chicken from pot, placing the bird in the fridge to cool. In the boiling pot, add onions, squeeze 2 quarters of lemon juice (take the seeds out before), squeeze the garlic from the bulb (comes out in a paste...make sure there are no peels), add celery, bay leaves, spinach, salt, pepper, peas, corn...well...add everything else!
Once the meat is cooled, shred it from the bone with a fork. throw away fat and bones. Add meat to boiling pot. Turn heat down, simmer for 40 min. Add the rest of the lemon juice right before serving. Serve hot with either fresh cilantro sprinkled on top or rosemary. I like to serve with a seeded baguette.