Jess and Jase (old): chicken soup for my sick soul

So as mentioned previously, I'm sick. (mentally, yes, a little bit, but we won't get into that now) Physically. I've been fighting a head cold, sinuses, congestion, sore throat and head aches for a week plus now. It totally sucks since it's not bad enough to have to call in from work, nor was I actually able to last week since my entire department was out of office. It's just a nagging, lingering annoyance. My dear friend Jessica offered to bring me her miracle chicken soup which she makes regularly for HVSGF who tends to take ill every now and then. But seeing that I'm an hour by car from her, I declined the generous offer and took that as inspiration to whip up my own batch. Was mine a miracle soup? Well, that remains to be seen as still I'm mildly ill and hopped up on vitamins, Nyquil, Thera-flu, and Claritin as current moment...

I've often attempted to master a basic soup. Because as Top Chef says, "The mark of good chef is if he/she can make a good soup." But every time I go at it, I start strong, but then flounder and fail. I think my downfall is when I begin to season the broth, I begin to reach for things like soy sauce, green onion, fish sauce or dashi. And thereby making the concoction too Asiany. Or I get too overworked and decide not to boil in the vegetables, but rather serve them sliced raw or I remove the meat and shred it on the side. And although it looks pretty to serve the vegetable and meats separately with the soup broth ladled over them, I end up robbing the broth of all the flavah (side note: I've had a few success, but nothing that I'm able to do consistently. It's like a chicke-pho, that I'll try again and post about soon.)

Anyhow. Chicken soup

1) Brown sliced chicken breast fillets with bit of salt and pepper
2) Add chopped onions and celery.
3) Continue to saute over medium heat and add diced carrots, cilantro and fresh basil
4) Add chicken stock (low sodium for heath and as not to be sick and dehydrated!) Bring to boil and simmer.
5) Add salt and pepper as needed. Don't forget to skim the fat!
6) Oven roast corn on the cob and grape tomatoes (a tip from Jessica! The Queen of Oven Roasting Veggies) and add to the soup.
7) Remove chicken. Dice and return to soup.
8) Add a thick or large pasta (like rigatoni. small pastas will get soggy faster). Tip - you can add the pasta straight to the soup. The starch on the pasta will help to thicken the broth. You can also add the pasta right after the soup is removed from the heat so it doesn't get over cooked and remains aldente.
9) Serve ladled over fresh spinach and topped with chopped basil and cilantro. (had to add that fresh vegetable touch in!)

And I had to give in to something Asiany at one serving... to make the soup more hearty, just add duk (Korean rice cakes)!