Chicken Soup For Existentialism
Or just for a cold, wet, snowy weekend
It’s weird to be at the beginning of a new year during which your life will fundamentally change. I know that’s the case with most new years, but it’s not that often that you *know* your life is about to take a hard left turn. It’s even less often that your life is taking that turn after years and years and *years* of wishing that it would. I feel like when people talk to me about the next six months, they can’t help but break out into a Cheshire Cat grin. “Aren’t you thrilled?” they ask. The subtext to that statement is simple: You literally wrote about love for years, Maria, and now (in the words of one Scheana Davies) it’s all happening.
And I do want to be clear — I’m absolutely thrilled. In a lot of ways, I can’t believe my luck. There are so many moments where I look at Ben and am struck with this overwhelming wish to go back and tell my 25-year-old self to chill out because it will happen. And that, frustratingly, everyone has always been right — it happens when you least expect it, and when you know, you know.
But holy shit! It is *so* scary to be in this stage of my life, because I now realize how much everything is about to change. And it’s not just marriage. We want to start a family one day. And according to my gynecologist, who, at my last appointment, warned me about waiting too long after we were married because I’ll be 34 on the day which is just a few months away from 35 (AKA “geriatric pregnancy” territory — yikes) that one day needs to be sooner than later. That is SO MUCH change in just one single year!! It’s a lot to see barreling toward you.
We spent the day yesterday with some friends who had a baby last year. “Enjoy the time now,” they told us. “Like, book the trip to France. Relax on the couch. Because once you have a kid, that’s on hold for a while.”
When I was single, I spent so much time building a life that I absolutely loved. I figured that, if I was going to be alone, I was going to be alone in a life that made me happy. Now that life, the only life I’ve known, is about to change. And that is scary.
So I’ve been trying to snap on to pockets of comfort where I can. I have been cozying up at home, enjoying time with Ben and on my own. I’ve been trying to see my friends more often. And I’ve been escaping to the kitchen when I can to get lost in the process of cooking.
There’s a lot I want to do in there this year. I want to keep working through my family recipes, but I’m feeling open to experimenting this year, too. I want to figure out what a properly stocked pantry looks like to me, and understand what I need on hand to whip up something delicious. I want to have a few more recipes in my back pocket. All of this feels foundational, like I’m laying the groundwork for what’s to come. By going back to my basics, I’m creating a little refuge for myself when things get scary. A place of comfort.
And there is nothing more comforting than grandma’s chicken soup. It’s one of the easier recipes she’s ever put together — so easy, in fact, that you may never buy canned soup again. It’s a huge bowl of comfort, and right now, that’s all that I’m really looking for.
INGREDIENTS
1 large or 2 medium carrot, sliced
3 ribs of celery, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 turnip, peeled but left whole
1 parsnip, peeled but left whole
Herbs of your choice (I always use dill and parsley), chopped
1 small whole chicken, between 2-3 lbs.
1 cup of small pasta of your choice (ditalini, acini di pepe, or orzo are excellent options)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a large soup pot (about 8 quarts) half-full with water. Bring to a boil. All your veggies and return it to a soft boil for about a half hour.
Meanwhile, remove your chicken from its packaging, remove the giblets (if there are any) and trim any excess skin or fat from the neck.
After a half hour, add your chicken to the soup, as well as a healthy amount of salt and pepper. Return to a slow boil and cook until your chicken is tender, about an hour. You may have to add a little extra water here and there — make sure to add no more than a cup at a time to avoid overflowing.
When the chicken is almost done cooking, throw in your pasta and cook for as long as the package recommends for al dente. Taste and add in salt and pepper, as needed.
When done, pull the whole chicken from the soup. My grandmother and mother always serve it on its own in a little dish so people can choose how much chicken they want in their actual soup, but I like to shred the meat and put it directly into the pot before serving.
Serve with some crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmesan.
NOTES
If your market sells those packets of soup vegetables, you can totally use that! I always like to add a little extra celery and carrots, though, as they never seem to have enough in there.
Feel free to leave the pasta out — you can always include barley, farro, or even split peas instead.
Make sure to save any vegetable scraps and chicken bones in your freezer for stock!