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Chicken soup

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Chicken soup is a warm and cozy meal that many people love.

Chicken Noodle Soup US
Chicken Noodle Soup US

It is often called a comfort food because it feels good to eat. Most recipes start with chicken simmered in water to make a clear broth. You can add many things to make it tasty. Common additions include noodles, rice, barley, or soft dumplings. Many people also add vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions, or celery.

AH canned chicken soup
AH canned chicken soup

Some cooks even add saffron or turmeric to give the soup a bright yellow color.

Making this soup is a slow and careful process. You should bring the pot to a boil very slowly. Then, you simmer it on a very low flame for one to three hours. You might need to add more water while it cooks. To make the soup less fatty, you can chill it after cooking. This lets the fat turn solid so you can skim it off the top. If you cook chicken with the bones in, the soup can even gain more calcium.

Waterzooi (Fastaff)
Waterzooi (Fastaff)

People have been making soup for a very long time. Humans were already boiling food during the Neolithic period. This was around the time that chickens were first domesticated. Modern American chicken soup has roots in Northern Europe. Immigrants brought these recipes, which used root vegetables, to the United States.

Cream of Chicken Soup
Cream of Chicken Soup

Different cultures have their own special ways to prepare it. In China, cooks might use old hens with ginger and soy sauce. In Greece, they make avgolemono, which uses beaten eggs and lemon for a thick texture.

There are many different names for chicken soup around the world.

Soto Ayam home-made
Soto Ayam home-made

In Indonesia, a spicy yellow version is called soto ayam. In Colombia, a popular soup is called ajiaco, which uses three types of potatoes and avocado.

Ajiaco
Ajiaco

Some people call chicken soup "Jewish penicillin" because it is a traditional dish in European Jewish kitchens. This version often includes matzah balls or kreplach, which are dumplings. In Korea, a soup called samgyetang uses ginseng and jujube fruits.

KOCIS Korea Malbok Samgyetang 03 (9493375058)
KOCIS Korea Malbok Samgyetang 03 (9493375058)

Each place uses its own local ingredients to create something unique.

Chicken soup is more than just a meal; it is often used as a remedy. Many people use it as folk medicine to help when they have a cold. In 2000, scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center studied how it affects the body. They found that some parts of the soup might help reduce inflammation.

Chicken Soup With Kreplach
Chicken Soup With Kreplach

Chicken soup also contains an amino acid called cysteine. This is very similar to a medicine doctors use for lung infections. While scientists are still studying exactly how much it helps, people continue to turn to this warm bowl for comfort.

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🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:Cream of Chicken Soup.jpg
Cream of Chicken Soup.jpg
File:Ajiaco.jpg
Ajiaco.jpg
File:Soto Ayam home-made.JPG
Soto Ayam home-made.JPG
File:Chicken Soup With Kreplach.jpg
Chicken Soup With Kreplach.jpg
File:KOCIS Korea Malbok Samgyetang 03 (9493375058).jpg
KOCIS Korea Malbok Samgyetang 03 (9493375058).jpg
File:Tinolalunch.jpg
Tinolalunch.jpg
File:Chicken Noodle Soup US.jpg
Chicken Noodle Soup US.jpg
File:AH canned chicken soup.jpg
AH canned chicken soup.jpg
File:Waterzooi (Fastaff).jpg
Waterzooi (Fastaff).jpg
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