Chicken soup for the soul

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients: 300 g rice noodles, 4 deseeded and chopped fresh red chillies, 2 tbsp soya sauce, 1 cup blanched bean sprouts, 1 sliced onion, black pepper powder to taste, a few coriander leaves, a few basil leaves, 200 g boneless chicken cubes, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1/2 finely chopped spring onion and its greens, 2 tsp sugar, salt to taste, 4 cups chicken stock.

Method: Boil 2 litres of water. Add chicken cubes, stock, onion, ginger, sugar and salt. Cook for 20 minutes. Strain and keep the chicken aside. Cook noodles with lots of water, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp oil. Strain it and add to the stock. Season with pepper, salt, soya sauce, red chillies, and sprouts, and cook until it is as thick as you want it to be.

Serve hot.

Chicken Barley Soup

Ingredients: 1/2 cup barley, 200 g boneless chicken cubes, 1 bayleaf,
1 tsp pepper corns, 2 finely chopped carrots, 1 stick of finely chopped
celery, 1 sliced onion, salt to taste, pepper to taste, 1 tbsp corn flour
dissolved in 1 cup of water, a few parsley or coriander leaves, 1 cup finely chopped cucumber, 4 cups of chicken stock.

Method: Soak barley in 2 cups of water for an hour and set aside. Boil 1 1/2 litre water and add bayleaf, pepper corns, carrots, celery, onion, and chicken to it. Cook well. Add soaked barley and melted butter to it, and saute for 3 minutes. Add the stock, and season with pepper and salt. Cook for 10 minutes. Add corn starch and cook for 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley or coriander and serve hot.

Chicken Mushroom Soup

Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup cooked wild rice or brown rice, 1 litre chicken stock, 200 g chicken cubes, 200 g chopped mushroom, 2 tbsp butter, 2 chopped onions, 1/4 cup chopped celery, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp maida, 1 cup white wine or milk.

Method: Cook the chicken cubes in the stock, and strain it. Then, shred the chicken into small pieces and set aside. Heat butter, add celery, onions and mushrooms, and saute for a while. Heat oil, add maida, and saute till it changes colour. Then add wine or milk, cook for a while. Add the shredded chicken and cook well. Garnish with parsley or coriander and serve hot.