By mid January the festive season is safely in the review mirror and hosting a party seems like the worst idea ever. Eating together this time of year, however, may be the antidote to what I have been referring to as “the bleakening”. It’s gray, it’s cold, we are vitamin d deficient, we are exhausted and we need each other all the more. We need something easy and nourishing that feels like a full meal without the frills, enter soup.
I like to chuck bones in a dutch oven, add garlic, peppercorns, some type of onions, thyme and celery and put it in a 275 degree oven overnight. The next day all that needs to happen is to boil some pasta in the soup, add some greens, squeeze a lemon and maybe grate some parm. Its utter perfection and the best enjoyed in a group. This time I poached some artichokes in the broth before straining it. It only takes 20-30 minutes to soften them. Remove them from the pot, slice up the hearts and add it back to your soup.
Winter used to flatten me and steal the light from my eyes when I was younger but I am learning to lean into its specific flow. Take a walk, talk to your people and eat some soup. Spring will be here so soon.
xx Molly
What you will need for the broth-
bones of 1 roasted chicken- reserve some of the meat for soup if you like
water to just cover the bones, probably 3 quarts or so
a bunch of thyme
6 cloves garlic or a whole head
a leek or onion
2 tablespoons of pepper corns
2 ribs of celery
3 artichokes- cleaned
-chuck everything into a 275 degree oven in a covered pot except the artichokes. Let it go in the oven for 8-10 hours
-in the morning pop your cleaned artichokes in the broth and return it to the oven, turn it up to 300 and let them soften for 20-30 minutes.
-remove the pot from the oven, take out the artichokes and strain the broth
-put the broth back into the pot salt it and bring it to a boil on the stove, add about 1/2 bag of pasta shells or penne or fusilli
-when the pasta is cooked add the chicken back in some chopped herbs and squeeze a lemon in. taste for salt add more to taste.
-to serve crack black pepper on and grate parmesean over the whole thing.
enjoy with loved ones. its a good soup to put in a thermos and bring to someone’s house or on a walk in the woods.
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