Chicken Soup

I read a little book recently that talked about chicken soup.

I thought for sure it would contain directions for preparing the steaming broth but it did not. The book had stories and poems that made me smile but never mentioned secret recipes.

Come to think about it, I don’t know if there ever was a hard and fast recipe for chicken soup. Somehow it all just came together with whatever grandma had in her cupboard.

As best I remember, grandma started with a fat hen or maybe just the bony pieces like the back, neck, and wings. She cooked it until the meat started falling off the bones and they stayed in the pot for substance and flavor. She added salt, pepper, and chopped celery bits. Sometimes she put in a few potatoes or rice. Best of all was when she made homemade noodles. Noodles and dumplings stand alone with chicken. You don’t need much else. I cannot say which of grandma’s chicken soups tasted best. There were rarely any leftovers. The most amazing thing about grandma’s chicken cuisine is how there was always plenty to serve extra folks. In the old days folks often stopped by the house on Saturday or Sunday afternoons and brought their hungry families.

I never recall grandma adding water to the pot but it was amazing how there was always plenty for everyone to eat their fill. Grandma’s chicken soup was kind of like the manna in the wilderness that miraculously stretched to fit the number of hungry souls that just happened to come by.

After lunch the ladies set to work cleaning up the kitchen. The men helped grandpa with chores such as chopping wood. Afterward everyone gathered on the front porch, the gallery. The men lit their pipes. The women got out their mending or knitting. Someone always has had a story to share.

The happy hum of fellowship and laughter was a beautiful way to end the day. Just before dark our guests were offered a cold biscuit, a chunk of cheese, and a glass of buttermilk before they packed up to head for home. The pot of chicken soup was gone and the shadows were falling. We had enjoyed being together and not one of the folks left hungry.

In pretty lean times, the Lord always provided.