collapse

* Recent Posts

Re: "Christ Is King" by SunflowerP
[Yesterday at 11:06:51 pm]


Re: "Christ Is King" by SunflowerP
[Yesterday at 10:30:17 pm]


Re: "Christ Is King" by Darkhawk
[Yesterday at 08:31:19 pm]


Re: "Christ Is King" by Darkhawk
[Yesterday at 07:54:40 pm]


Re: "Christ Is King" by Sefiru
[Yesterday at 07:44:49 pm]

Author Topic: Food: Actual Chicken Soup...for the stomach!  (Read 1641 times)

ehbowen

  • Grand Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Location: Houston, Texas
  • Posts: 1396
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 286
  • A Ways Around the Bend...
    • View Profile
    • Streamliner Schedules
  • Religion: Southern Baptist
Actual Chicken Soup...for the stomach!
« on: April 20, 2018, 12:16:27 am »
Okay, so I saw this thread...and was moved to think about my on-again-off-again quest to develop the perfect cheesy chicken soup. Well, if not perfect, at least quick, easy, and somewhat tasty.

I will say that my quest was inspired by this long-time church favorite which the pastor's wife makes every year for the February Souper Bowl party:

Chicken Cheese Soup
  • 2 to 3 cups chicken breast, boiled and shredded
  • 1 can whole corn, drained
  • 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
  • 1 can red beans
  • 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. Velveeta cheese
  • Optional: 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can cream of celery soup, and/or 1 can evaporated milk.
Place the cooked, shredded chicken in Crock Pot and add red beans, corn, Ro-Tel tomatoes, Velveeta cheese, and any optional ingredients. Heat in Crock Pot until it is good and hot and all the Velveeta is thoroughly melted.

This was actually quite good, but I wanted to try making changes. First, it was extremely rich, and thick...which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted something a little more brothy. Second, it makes a very big batch...I'm a bachelor (as most of you have been reminded ad nauseum!). Finally...I wanted to exorcise the tomatoes. I have said elsewhere:

Quote
I abhor tomatoes. Unless, of course, they are simmered for 3-4 hours with browned beef, diced onions and bell peppers, jalapenos, cumin, and a generous dollop of chili powder. Then...they're tolerable.

As a bachelor, I wanted to come up with something which required as little "prep work" as possible. Here's my latest attempt, which didn't come out too bad if I do say so myself:
  • 1 can Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup (original)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can Trappey's Black-eyed Peas
  • 1 (5 oz.) can No Salt Added Hormel Premium Chicken Breast in water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 14 mg (use a gram scale...no other way around it) Sodium Citrate
  • 8-10 ounces shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Pepper & seasonings to taste

I use a 1-1/2 quart crock pot; just bachelor size. First I start with the chicken noodle soup, the black-eyed peas, and the canned chicken breast. I don't drain anything; this gives about the right amount of liquid for a thin broth. Stir in the milk and begin heating in the crock pot. After it's warm, measure out and stir in the sodium citrate...this is what makes the cheese dissolve into the broth (and it's what Kraft uses to make Velveeta); you're aiming for about 2% of the combined weights of your cheese and liquid ingredients. When it's hot enough to melt the cheese, then stir in your shredded Cheddar. The mixture should fill a 1-1/2 quart crock pot; the more cheese, the better. The sodium citrate will help it dissolve smoothly into the broth, although it takes a few minutes of stirring for this to happen.

Please note that 14 mg of sodium citrate is a LOT of sodium, even for the ~4 servings which this makes; if you have high blood pressure or are sensitive to sodium then look but do not touch. I also recommend that you select low-sodium alternatives for the chicken and black-eyed peas if you can find them...perhaps the chicken noodle soup, as well.

With the cheese melted it's time to fine-tune the taste. I add black pepper, oregano, thyme, and maybe just a dash of paprika. Salt should not be necessary; see sodium notice above. About 20 minutes before serving add the lemon juice and mix well. Enjoy!

And if anyone else has any favorite chicken soup recipes, please share!
« Last Edit: May 07, 2019, 01:44:32 pm by RandallS »
--------Eric H. Bowen
Where's the KABOOM? There was supposed to have been an Earth-shattering KABOOM!
Computers are like air conditioning. They become useless when you open Windows—Linus Torvalds.

TheGreenWizard

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jul 2017
  • Location: New York, NY
  • Posts: 352
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 161
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Hellenic Pagan
  • Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Re: Actual Chicken Soup...for the stomach!
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2018, 12:58:18 pm »
And if anyone else has any favorite chicken soup recipes, please share!

I've made this one before and my husband is a picky eater, but loves me when I make this.

Into a pre-greased (spray it with olive oil) Crockpot (I have a 6 or 8 Qt model):
  • 1-2 lbs chicken breasts (you may want to chop these up into smaller pieces for faster cooking, and more flavor distribution into the chicken)
  • 1-3 jars of salsa (you choose the spice level)
  • Optional: add more spices to ramp up the spice factor!
Let it all cook for 6 to 8 hours (my model has that option. If you don't, then cook on low for 8 hours). Then add in 2 cups of shredded cheese to it; you can stir if you want. Let cook for another 15 minutes. Then serve! Super simple, and delicious.

Note: My husband loves things super spicy. I've thrown in Chipotle peppers with the sauce, used special pepper-infused oil, and even contemplated adding in small slivers of Habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers to appeal to his taste buds. Do what you want with this - it's a very forgiving recipe.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go

ehbowen

  • Grand Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Location: Houston, Texas
  • Posts: 1396
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 286
  • A Ways Around the Bend...
    • View Profile
    • Streamliner Schedules
  • Religion: Southern Baptist
Re: Actual Chicken Soup...for the stomach!
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2018, 01:09:54 pm »
Into a pre-greased (spray it with olive oil) Crockpot (I have a 6 or 8 Qt model):
  • 1-2 lbs chicken breasts (you may want to chop these up into smaller pieces for faster cooking, and more flavor distribution into the chicken)
  • 1-3 jars of salsa (you choose the spice level)
  • Optional: add more spices to ramp up the spice factor!
Let it all cook for 6 to 8 hours (my model has that option. If you don't, then cook on low for 8 hours). Then add in 2 cups of shredded cheese to it; you can stir if you want. Let cook for another 15 minutes. Then serve! Super simple, and delicious.

I tried making another batch of my recipe yesterday, but I experimented with cutting the sodium citrate down to 10 mg. The cheese still dissolved properly, so that was a success. I also added a bay leaf while it was simmering; good results. Better taste and 25% less sodium than before...what's not to like?!
--------Eric H. Bowen
Where's the KABOOM? There was supposed to have been an Earth-shattering KABOOM!
Computers are like air conditioning. They become useless when you open Windows—Linus Torvalds.

Tags: chicken soup recipe 
 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
21 Replies
6188 Views
Last post December 20, 2014, 12:30:08 pm
by moongate
6 Replies
1349 Views
Last post October 15, 2013, 09:38:46 am
by veggiewolf
18 Replies
7629 Views
Last post April 26, 2020, 12:59:41 pm
by Aisling
1 Replies
1634 Views
Last post December 30, 2017, 01:42:37 am
by wild fox
46 Replies
11794 Views
Last post May 01, 2019, 03:26:10 am
by muis

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 208
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 1
  • Dot Users Online:

* Please Donate!

The Cauldron's server is expensive and requires monthly payments. Please become a Bronze, Silver or Gold Donor if you can. Donations are needed every month. Without member support, we can't afford the server.

* Shop & Support TC

The links below are affiliate links. When you click on one of these links you will go to the listed shopping site with The Cauldron's affiliate code. Any purchases you make during your visit will earn TC a tiny percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you.

* In Memoriam

Chavi (2006)
Elspeth (2010)
Marilyn (2013)

* Cauldron Staff

Host:
Sunflower

Message Board Staff
Board Coordinator:
Darkhawk

Assistant Board Coordinator:
Aster Breo

Senior Staff:
Aisling, Allaya, Jenett, Sefiru

Staff:
Ashmire, EclecticWheel, HarpingHawke, Kylara, PerditaPickle, rocquelaire

Discord Chat Staff
Chat Coordinator:
Morag

'Up All Night' Coordinator:
Altair

Cauldron Council:
Bob, Catja, Chatelaine, Emma-Eldritch, Fausta, Jubes, Kelly, LyricFox, Phouka, Sperran, Star, Steve, Tana

Site Administrator:
Randall

SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal