Soup Anybody?

December 12, 2025

It's good soup weather! For sure! My mother used to say that all the time. Of course back in those days we got our soup from a can. I can't even begin to tell you how much my mother took advantage of Shoprite's Can Can sale back in the day. I can bet you there are still some stocked away down in the basement. Reagan era chicken noodle soup. Vintage, I could probably sell them on eBay.

Yes, I do enjoy a nice hearty bowl of soup after spending a day outside working in the throws of a winter cold snap. Nothing warms the belly and the soul than bowl of hot soup served with melty delicious grilled cheese on the side. Oh baby, now we're talking! As we speak, the wife is making another batch of her patented chicken noodle soup. The house smells wonderful, I can't stress that enough. And she makes the best soup I have ever eaten...and I worked in restaurants for a better part of 15 years, so that says a lot.

But often I wonder, if people really knew how soup was made, if they would continue to run to the front of the line in the cafeteria when the lunch bell rings? Now, I must warn you, if you love soup with all your heart, you may want to stop reading right here, I don't want to crush your world any further than the current times we live in have. After all, in trying times, the littlest things can help you to get by. Even if it is just a silly little bowl of hot soup on a cold winters day.

So, without further ado, let's make some soup! First you take the remains of whatever dead animal you cooked earlier in the week and plop it in a big 'ole pot. In our case here, a chicken that has spent the better part of three days in the fridge. It's mostly bones and skin with a little meat left over that hasn't been picked at yet. We bring it to a nice boil...hence the great smell in the house. This way we render the fat, and liquify the bone marrow and loosen those tendons that are holding onto that stubborn meat that refused to budge three days ago! Now you have nice big chunks for your masterpiece.

But we're not done yet! Pull what's left of that carcass out of the pot and dissect anything edible and throw it back in. We then add all the vegetables (onions, celery and carrots are the usual suspects) to the cauldron of doom. Now, in the case of my wife's soup, they are always fresh. In restaurants, not so much! Usually, it's all the crap in the fridge that is about to go south. Give them a rinse, cut off the rotted parts and chuck it in baby! Don't worry the hard boil will kill any bacteria or fungus that was growing. A little salt and little pepper for taste and some turmeric to add that nice yellow glow we're all familiar with and we're all set!

Add some pasta and top with some fresh ground pepper and maybe some of those fried onions that have been sitting in your pantry for the last 17 years. Oh baby, it's good soup weather out there. Let's eat!

This is going to make a killer soup!!