Recipe: Emeril's Get-Well Chicken Vegetable Soup

Emeril's Get-Well Chicken Vegetable Soup
Source: chef and author Emeril Lagasse
1998

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), boned, skinned, and visible fat removed (save the bones and the carcass, discard the skin), diced
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
10 turns freshly ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Emeril's Creole Seasoning
2 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables, such as beans, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage or whatever is in season
1 cup (firmly packed) rinsed and torn spinach leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 quarts chicken stock
2 cups cooked fine or broad noodles

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken meat and bones, salt, and pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, until the meat and bones are brown, for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil, bay leaves and Creole Seasoning and saute, stirring once or twice, for aobut 4 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables, spinach and crushed red pepper and saute for 1 minute.

Add the stock to the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 25 minutes. Add the noodles, bring back to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the carcass and loose bones. Unless you're too ill to wait, the soup will taste even better if you refrigerate it overnight. The next day, remove and discard the congealed fat on the top and reheat the soup over medium heat.

Emeril's Creole Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried leaf thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Makes about 2/3 cup.