Hi Barbara:

I have an interesting recipe for you from Bon Appetit called Victory
Garden Chicken-Vegetable Soup. It's orgin according to the magazine is 1940's.
It seems like an excellent recipe to try on your mother after she has the surgery. Hope all goes well!

Victory Garden Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 3-1/2 lb. chicken cut into 8 pieces
8 cups water
3/4 cups dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 pound red skinned potatoes peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound tomatoes coarsely chopped
3 medium carrots peeled, sliced
4 ounces green beans, trimmed cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini trimmed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 cups thiny sliced fresh spinach leaves
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil.

Bring the chicken, water, wine and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in large pot,
skimming surface. Cover, simmer until chicken is cooked through about 25
minutes. Transfer chicken breast and thighs pieces to platter(leave remaining
chicken and stock in pot). Remove meat from bones cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
Cover and chill meat. Return scraps and bones to pot.

Cover stock and simmer 1 hour. Strain. Cool stock slightly. Chill
overnight. Spoon fat off top and disgard.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, saute until
golden about 6 minutes. Add stock and bring to boil. Add potatoes, tomatoes,
carrots, green beans, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer 10 minutes. Add zucchini
and corn; simmer unti vegetables are tender about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach
and chicken meat. Simmer until chicken is heated through about 3 minutes.
Stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

For convenience you can skip first part of receipe and use six cups of canned
chicken broth.