Chicken soup has global appeal

I've been thinking about chicken soup a lot lately, probably because everyone around me has been plagued with ear infections, bronchitis and colds that settle into the chest and just won't let go.

So just like my mother and her mother before her and her mother before her, I want to cook up some comfort: a pot of chicken soup.

Chicken soup's curative powers have been traced back to ancient Egypt with modern research supporting that the mix of nutrients and vitamins in a typical bowl does slow the activity of white blood cells.

Most cooks today don't start with homemade stock. Especially when we're feeling a touch flu-ish ourselves, simmering a chicken carcass and vegetable scraps is the last thing on the to-do list.

Instead we grab for a can or aseptic box of broth (for the best-tasting broth, the editors at Cook's Illustrated recommend Swanson Certified Organic), but what we add to that broth varies depending on our heritage.

Chicken soup knows no geographic or socio-economic boundaries; it shows up everywhere, from street vendors in China and Mexico to diners in the U.S. and in fine European restaurants.

In Britain, they prefer a thick creamy version, often stocked with carrots, celery and onion (hmm, sound familiar?), while in Brazil you'll find it infused with cumin and garlic and served with rice.

Chinese and Thai cooks chop ginger into the soup, possibly counting on ginger's thermogenetic properties to warm up our insides. Chicken soup made with brewed tea draws on tea's antioxidants to perk up our immune systems.

And while there's certainly nothing wrong with an American version brimming with egg noodles and the occasional bay leaf, there's something exciting about trying a new dish that can take us away from all this slush and to a warmer clime.

Pass me a spoon and, achoo, a tissue. I'm heading to Morocco.

Chinese-style Chicken Noodle Soup

1 teaspoon canola oil

1½ teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 cans (14 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 ounces Chinese wheat noodles

3 cups frozen sugar snap pea vegetable stir-fry mix

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and begin to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add the broth, soy sauce and vinegar. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch. Add to the simmering broth along with the noodles. Return to a simmer and cook until the noodles are tender and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and cook until they are heated through.

Serves four.

Nutrition values per serving: 237 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 21 g protein, 23 mg cholesterol, 808 mg sodium.

"The Volumetrics Eating Plan" by Barbara Rolls (2007 Harper, $15.95)

White Tea Chicken Soup

2-3 pounds trimmed chicken breast

2 cans (14 ounces each) reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

4½ cups brewed white tea

4-5 chopped carrots (or 1 can, drained)

1 chopped onion

3-4 chopped celery stalks

½ pound string beans (or 1 can, drained)

1 cup corn or 1 can corn, drained

1 can (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes

1 green pepper, chopped

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon basil

¼ teaspoon sage

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 cups whole wheat pasta, optional

Cut chicken into small bite-sized cubes. Put in a medium pan, cover with water and boil until cooked thoroughly, about 20 minutes. Pour off water; remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large stock pot, combine broth, brewed white tea, carrots, onion, celery, string beans, corn, undrained diced tomatoes, green pepper, and spices; cook on simmer to medium for 2 to 3 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Thirty minutes prior to serving, add chicken and pasta, if using, cover and allow to cook for at least 25 minutes.

Serves eight to 10.

Nutrition values per serving: 140 calories, 2.5 g fat (1 g saturated), 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 21 g protein, 60 mg cholesterol, 115 mg sodium.

www.greentea.com

Moroccan Chicken Soup

5 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each), or 18 ounces chicken tenders

1 medium onion, about 8 ounces

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon hot paprika or harissa (or ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika mixed with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium zucchini, about 12 ounces

½ cup instant couscous

1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas

8 sprigs cilantro

Put the chicken stock in a large saucepan over high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer.

Meanwhile, put the oil in a 12-inch saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cut the chicken into ½- to ¾-inch cubes; add to the pan, raise the heat to high, stir once or twice.

While the chicken browns, peel and quarter the onion and put it in a food processor. Pulse just until chopped. Or chop by hand. Add the onion, cumin, ginger and paprika to the pan with the chicken. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the warm stock to the saute pan, scraping any bits from the bottom with a wide wooden spoon. Cover and bring to a boil, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, trim the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Then cut crosswise into ¼-inch-wide half moons. Add the zucchini and the couscous to the saute pan, stir, and cover.

Open the can of chickpeas into a small colander, rinse and drain briefly. Add to the saute pan. Cover and let the soup return to a boil, then lower the heat slightly so the soup simmers briskly for 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. While the soup simmers, chop the cilantro leaves. Stir into the soup and serve. Serve it with pocketless pita bread or other flatbread.

Serves four.

Nutrition values per serving: 426 calories, 11 g fat (1 g saturated), 39 g carbohydrates, 42 g protein, 74 mg cholesterol, 994 mg sodium.

Sam Gugino, samcooks.com

Coconut Chicken Soup

1 scant pound (14-16 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 stick lemongrass (see note)

1 piece (1-inch) galangal root (also sold as Thai ginger) or ginger root

4 lime leaves (sold in specialty stores) or zest and juice of 1 lime, optional

2 fresh hot chilies (long, thin Thai chilies or jalapenos)

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon fish sauce (sold in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets)

¼ teaspoon sugar

Fresh chopped cilantro

Slice chicken into ¼-inch strips. If you find it hard to slice, freeze the chicken for 15-20 minutes to harden slightly before slicing. Set aside.

Smash the lemongrass with the flat blade of a chef's knife, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the galangal (or ginger) and slice into rounds. Tear lime leaves (if using) into thirds. Stem the chili peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds if you prefer a dish that is milder. Finely chop the chilies. Put all the ingredients in a bowl. If you are using a fresh lime, not lime leaves, add zest (but not the juice) to the bowl.

Heat the coconut milk and water in a saucepan for 2 to 3 minutes; do not allow to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Reserved lemongrass mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not let boil.

Add the chicken strips and cook for 5 minutes, stirring over medium heat. Don't overcook, and lower the heat if it threatens to boil.

Add the lemon juice (plus the lime juice, if using), fish sauce and sugar. Stir and continue cooking for another minute or two. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Serves four.

Cook's note: Lemongrass is available, fresh, in many supermarkets. It looks like a large, woody scallion. It freezes very well, so buy a bunch. If you can't find it, substitute 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger. Do not use dried lemongrass; it does not compare.

Nutrition values per serving: 340 calories, 26 g fat (22 g saturated), 5 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein, 55 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium.

"Simply Thai Cooking" by Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu (1996 Robert Rose)