Jan. 13, 2002 – What's the best way to combat a cold? Many people in many cultures would say with a steaming bowl of chicken soup! There is scientific evidence that this folk-ways favorite, sometimes called "Grandmother's penicillin," provides more than just a comforting taste.
Chicken soup has been balm for humanity's battle with the common cold for centuries. An ancient Greek treatise from around 200 B.C. describes how chicken soup was used to treat various respiratory disorders.
Recently, researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami found that hot chicken soup appeared to clear up cold congestion. Interestingly, they found it wasn't just the steam from the hot soup that was beneficial, but that there were compounds in the soup itself that appeared to block the movement of inflammation-causing white blood cells in the throat.
The exact chemistry of these substances and how they work remain a mystery. However, the medicinal effects of chicken soup are strongest when the recipe is chock full of vegetables — which isn't surprising, since we know today that vegetables contain many healthful vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.
With all its vegetables, the recipe here is as much a stew as a soup. Sweet potato, calabaza, plantain, corn and carrots add a sweet taste, while green beans, onion and white potato add savory balance. The beef bones can be omitted, if desired, or ham bones can be substituted. This recipe makes a fairly large quantity, but it freezes wonderfully, making for a nutritious one-pot meal for those busy times when things are too hectic to cook a wholesome dinner.
Caribbean-style Chicken Soup
2 1/2 to 3 pounds of chicken, skinned and cut up
2 pounds beef soup bones
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced
1/2 pound piece pumpkin, seeded, peeled and diced
3 ears fresh corn, cut from cob
1 large ripe plantain
1 cup frozen green beans
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 chicken, beef or vegetable-favored broth cubes
2 quarts water
Salt and black pepper, to taste
One 8 oz. bag thin egg noodles, if desired
Place all ingredients except the noodles into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are fork tender — about 1 hour. Remove chicken and beef bones with a slotted spoon; allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, stir in noodles and more water, if needed. Boil 6 to 8 minutes. Debone chicken, dispost of bones and add chicken meat back into the pot. Cut any meat off the beef bones and add it back into the pot. Serve hot as a full meal along with whole-grain bread.
Makes 12 servings. Per serving: 240 calories, 4 gms fat (15 percent fat calories), 55 mg cholesterol, 367 mg sodium.
