WEDNESDAY
Lately, I have been drawn to broth-based soups. Bowls of vegetables, and a bit of protein, suspended in a clear broth which is brought to life with the addition of herbs & spices. A few weeks ago we enjoyed this Spicky Pork & Kale version and last week it was a fragrant Chicken Bouillon. While their creamier cousins…chowder, tomato soup, cauliflower soup {just to name a few}…all have wonderful flavor with textures that comfort you from the inside out like a heavy blanket on a cold evening, broths possess clarity, a clean, fresh taste that comes alive in your mouth but is easy on your stomach. Restorative in nature, they seem to be the perfect soups to enjoy now, at the beginning of a fresh new year.
When Heidi {at 101 Cookbooks} posted this Immunity Soup recipe last week I was immediately drawn to the recipe by the image of beautiful watermelon radish slices floating in the bowl. These winter jewels are one of my favorites, often making their way into my lunch salads. They also make a wonderful snack when sliced into wedges and given a kiss of Irish butter and sea salt…
But it was her vivid description of the broth that locked me onto this soup…
“This soup is built on a monster white pepper broth. White pepper with jolts of ginger, and stabs of garlic. I like it just shy of scalding, racing down my throat, sweeping through my sinuses in one boisterous, fragrant swoop.”
The ingredients are few and simple…
The largest investment of time involved in this recipe rests in slicing all of the ingredients. Heidi mentions employing the use of a mandolin to make the job easier but, given my last “run-in” with my mandolin and the resulting trip to the emergency room {BTW…I am just getting the feeling back in my thumb}, I decided to take the conventional way with my trusty knife…
The original recipe calls for the addition of protein in the form of tofu. Since tofu is not a food we enjoy, I decided to simply roast some organic chicken wings and, after pulling the tender, caramelized meat from their little bones, I simply added it to the soup…
Toppings for the soup: watermelon radish slices, chopped scallion & some torn parsley leaves…
The finished soup was everything Heidi had promised and more. The first bite caught my attention with a tickle both in my nose and throat but the overall flavor was not so much spicy as it was invigorating. A small serving of brown rice, in addition to the soup, made this a very satisfying dinner. {Note: if you end up going the roasted chicken route, don’t stress about removing all of the crispy, caramelized skin when picking the meat from the bones…it adds rich flavor and another layer of texture to this dynamic soup}.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled, quartered + thinly sliced
- 3 celery stalks, trimmed + thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled +thinly sliced
- 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled + very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled + grated
- 3/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, trimmed + sliced
- 1 cup of pulled meat from roasted chicken wings {I used 20 wings}
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
- For garnish: chopped scallion, sliced watermelon radish, and torn parsley leaves
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, and stir in the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and ginger. Gently sauté just until soft and avoid browning. If the pan becomes dry during the sauté, add a tablespoon of water to the mixture.
- Stir in the white pepper and 10 cups of water. Increase the heat to achieve a simmer, and then continue to cook for 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms, chicken meat, and salt, and gently simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir well, taste, and adjust with more salt or water if needed. Ladle the soup into shallow soup bowls and garnish, generously, with scallion, parsley, and a few watermelon radish slices.
- To roast the chicken wings, I simply spread them out in a single layer on a non-stick, rimmed baking sheet, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper and then roasted them in a pre-heated 375 F oven for approximately 45-55 minutes. Let the wings cool for 10-15 minutes before removing meat from the bones.
