Healthy Chicken Soup

I have two more soup facts (and two healthy chicken soup recipes) to share with you this morning.

I bet you'll find the first soup fact pretty fascinating:

The ladies of the French court of Louis XI subsisted mainly on soup because they believed that chewing would cause them to develop facial wrinkles.

The Mayo Clinic Health Letter, in assessing chicken soup's role in relieving cold symptoms said, "Chicken soup is nutritious, tasty, inexpensive and has no known side effects."

I disagree with the Health Letter conclusion that chicken soup has no positive side effects.

Actually, there's plenty of evidence that chicken soup helps with colds and flus in an article on my website, but then, hey, a super expensive medical clinic devoted to the drug, cut, and burn model isn't going to pitch chicken soup, is it?

By the way, the article includes a medical doctor's favorite chicken soup recipe, as well as supermarket soups that effectively slow the progress of colds and flus.

Speaking of chicken soup, here are two chicken soup recipes that are so tasty they'll curl your toes.

Chicken Soup with Avocado

1 small onion, chopped coarsely
2 garlic cloves or 2 tsp chopped garlic from jar
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded or 1 small can chopped jalapeno
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
Leftover chicken, cubed (equal to about 1 1/2 cups)
6 cups chicken broth
4 corn tortillas or 1 cup of tortilla chips
2 firm avocados or 1/2 cup prepared guacamole dip
2 Tbs fresh lime juice

Pour a tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a large sauce pan. Sauté the onion and fresh garlic and fresh jalapeno for about 3-4 minutes. If using chopped garlic from jar add it about 30 seconds before you add the liquid. Add broth and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

If using corn tortillas, halve tortillas and cut into 1/8 inch strips. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan. Divide strips into 3 batches and fry until golden. As they cook, remove with tongs and drain on paper towel. If using fresh avocados, pit and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add chicken to broth, add remaining cilantro, avocado, lime juice and salt to taste. Add canned jalapenos.

Note: If using ready-made guacamole, put a dollop in each soup plate and then ladle the soup over it. Garnish with tortilla strips or tortilla chips. 4 to 6 servings

Carrot Vichyssoise

5 cups chicken broth
6 Tbs butter
2 cups green onion, without tops, sliced
4 Tbs flour
4 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat chicken broth; set aside and keep warm. Melt butter, add onions and saute 5 minutes; stir in flour. Gradually add hot broth and bring to a boil. Add carrots, salt, and pepper; simmer 30 minutes. Puree in blender and stir in sour cream. Serve hot or cold; garnish with sour cream and chives.

This recipe is really easy to make and excellent served hot or cold. Make sure your blender can tolerate hot stuff or use one of those "one prongers" made by Braun or other manufacturers.

That's it for today's pitch for health chicken soups.

Chet "I Don't Pluck 'Em" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Soup Facts

Here are three interesting facts about healthy soup that you may or may not have had floating around in your brain:

There is an old Yiddish saying, "Troubles are easier to take with soup than without."

An old Spanish proverb says: "Of soup and love, the first is best."

The first archaeological evidence of someone stirring up soup for dinner dates back to 6000 BC. The main ingredient of this first-known soup? Hippopotamus Bones!

I want you to know that I searched all over the Internet for a good Hippopotamus Bone Soup but was unable to find anything that looked even remotely tasty or healthy.

For a healthy soup recipe today, however, I'll share something a lot less exotic...

Lemon Soup with Garbanzo Beans

6 cups chicken broth
1 15-16 oz can garbanzo beans -- rinsed and drained
6 garlic cloves -- chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint

Combine broth, beans, garlic, turmeric and cumin in large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Whisk eggs and lemon juice until well-blended.

Gradually whisk two cups soup at a time into egg mixture. Return to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until heated through, about five minutes. (Do not boil.) Add cayenne. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with mint.

Oh, one last thing. If you like soup, you'll want to subscribe to my Amazing Soups newsletter. If you click that link right now, I'll even give you a free one-year subscription. Whoa, what a deal!

Chet "Soup Slurping" Day
Editor, Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Salmon Salad Burritos

Since I'm starting to re-mold my soon-to-be-a-senior-citizen body with some muscle by lifting weights, I've recently been eating quality protein mini-meals several times a day.

Well, not too long ago I was in a hurry after my work-out, so I popped open a 7.5 oz can of Vital Choice Wild Red salmon and then reached into the refrigerator and, perhaps because of Divine Inspiration, grabbed a bottle of jalapeno peppers, a stalk of celery, and a jar of mayonnaise.

I opened the can of Wild Red and smiled with the usual happiness at the quality of the salmon and Omega-rich oils as I dumped the contents into a container.

I tossed in a tablespoon of mayonnaise, several tablespoons of chopped jalapenos, and about twice that of chopped celery.

A quick stir and, honestly, I had the most fabulous salmon salad I've ever tasted.

I pulled a couple of big romaine lettuce leaves off the head in the refrigerator, spooned a liberal line of salmon salad down the middle of each leaf and then folded both up like burritos.

My plan was to bring the mini-meal here to my home office to chomp it down while checking my email, but after one bite, I just stood there in the kitchen and ate both of my salmon salad burritos.

Whoa, they were so good, I didn't even want to wait long enough to walk upstairs with them to my office.

Anyway, here are directions for my salmon salad burritos in a simple format for those who like to have printed copies of all their best recipes:

Salmon Salad Burritos

1 7.5-oz can Vital Choice Wild Red salmon
1 Tbs mayonnaise
2-3 Tbs chopped jalapeno peppers
4-6 Tbs diced celery
Romaine lettuce leaves

Mix everything together, spoon liberal servings down the middle of big Romaine lettuce leaves, fold like burritos, and then enjoy a healthy taste of heaven.

By the way, if you haven't yet tried Vital Choice Wild Red salmon, now is the time to do so. I promise that once you taste their wild Alaskan salmon, you'll join me as one of their satisifed customers. Click here to check out Vital Choice Wild Red canned salmon.

Chet "Salmon Burrito Senior" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com