Recipe

Emeril's Get-well Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 2 1/2 to 3 pound chicken, boned, skinned and visible fat removed (save bones and carcass, discard skin), diced
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Black pepper
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning, or to taste
2 cups assorted chopped fresh seasonal vegetables (such as beans, zucchini, squash or cabbage)
1 cup rinsed, torn spinach leaves, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 quarts chicken stock
2 cups fine or broad noodles, cooked until still slightly firm

Heat oil in a large heavy soup pot over high heat. Add chicken meat and bones, salt, and 10 turns of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat and bones are brown, about 5 minutes.
Add onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil, bay leaves and Creole seasoning and cook, stirring once or twice, about 4 minutes. Add chopped vegetables, spinach and crushed red pepper and cook 1 minute more. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, about 25 minutes. Remove carcass and loose bones. Add noodles, bring back to a boil, and simmer 5 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, if possible. It'll taste even better if you do. Serve 1 1/3 cups per bowl and freeze any extra servings.