Comfort by the Bowl

Last month I invited readers to share soup recipes as a way of connection during the cold, darkness of winter. I have been overwhelmed with responses! The process of making soup, the slow cooking, the simplicity of ingredients, the ability to pause and savor, make soup the ideal mindful food. Soup is also part of our collective cultures, it gives us sustenance and connects us when the world feels very divided. I am grateful to my friend Karen for sharing her wonderfully satisfying Chicken and Kale Soup. In the spirit of mindfulness she remarks, "The more you gently simmer it, the tastier it will become"  Enjoy mindfully and keep those recipes of comfort and connection coming!

KAREN’S CHICKEN AND KALE SOUP

Ingredients for One Full Soup Pot
Olive oil
2 large, chicken breasts, with skin and bones
6-8 Celery stalks, leaves included
1 large yellow onion
Big handful of fresh parsley
Ground black pepper, about 2 teaspoons (we like it spicy, less if desired)
Thyme (2 -3 teaspoons dried), lots, if fresh, remove little leaves from stems
3 boxes of chicken broth
1 1/2 pound of carrots (about) sliced into rounds
Several large bunches of washed kale.  Remove leafy parts from thickest stems and chop, not too finely

Recipe
Wash, dice/chop onion, celery, parsley, thyme
Drizzle olive oil into soup pot, enough to cover bottom of pot and a bit more
Saute chopped onions, celery, parsley, thyme, ground black pepper in oil
Stir frequently
When ingredients are thoroughly sauted, add the chicken breasts to pot
Stir the ingredients while continuing to saute, turning chicken breasts frequently to
mix with the celery, onion, herbs
When the chicken breasts begin to brown, add one box of chicken stock, or more, so as to barely cover the chicken with stock
Stir the pot, so chicken stock mixes in with everything else
Bring pot to simmer, add two other boxes of chicken stock
Simmer gently until the chicken meat is cooked and tender
Remove the chicken breasts, let cool enough to removed meat from the bones
Return the chicken meat to the gently simmering pot
Add carrot rings to soup
Add chopped kale to soup
Simmer gently until the carrots are tender
Soup is ready!  Enjoy!  The more you gently simmer it, the tastier it will become!

Serve with some sort of artisan/tasty bread. We like to have St Andre cheese for the bread, or some type of chedder

Let's Meet 2017 with Hygge and Mindful Soup

A new year is unfolding....

 I have been considering how we create comfort during  challenging times, apparently I am not alone in the urge to cocoon. I recently read an article in the New York Times on the Danish concept of hygge (pronouned HOO-gah) which is an all encompassing way of embracing coziness and warmth -- body, mind and spirit. In considering this concept, I was drawn to one of the comments I received in November when I asked readers what they wished they had had when they were caregivers to loved ones who were seriously ill...I received a response that was profound in its simplicity and accuracy...it simply stated "I needed soup" (thank you LL). Yes! Exactly! That's hygge! 

What better way to comfort ourselves during challenging times than with a bowl of hearty soup. Soup exemplifies the tenants of mindfulness...it does not have to have perfect or expensive ingredients, it can't be rushed, you need to turn the high heat down and let it simmer (as with our thoughts in meditation) and it soothes and warms the body, mind and spirit from the inside out. 

So this January to help you get started in the practice of hygge...let's share soup together. While it may be impossible to physically gather around a table in my house or yours, I invite you to join me and others in a virtual sharing of soup.  I will be posting soup recipes throughout the month of January and would love your contributions. You may either post them directly in the comment section of the blog posts or you may email them to me (pressler@StressResources.com)and I will post them on the Stress Resources blog. Do you have a story that goes with a recipe...share it with us! I hope that the recipes will connect and inspire us all to practice hygge this January.

To get us started, here is a favorite recipe of mine...enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 T extra virgin olive oil

3 T butter

1/2 t dried basil

1/2 t dried oregano

6 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

24 oz egg noodles

In a 6 quart crockpot add in whole chicken breasts, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, olive oil, butter, basil, oregano. Next add in chicken broth, water and season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low hear for 6-7 hours

Remove cooked chicken breasts and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place chicken back into the slow cooker. Now add in egg noodles. Cover and cook just until noodles are tender.