Soup help needed..

[Disney Doll]

Delicious Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients

2 packages seasoned rice
2 cups cooked chicken
3 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn
Directions

In a stock pot over medium-high heat, brown the chicken and the fresh vegetables in the oil until all browned, stirring often, about 8 minutes.
Add the water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the broth, and continue simmering.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Whisk in the milk, and continue cooking until mixture is bubbly and thick. Add some of the broth mixture to the milk mixture, continuing to stir, then stir all of the milk mixture into the broth mixture.
Add the rice packages and both cans of corn, and simmer for an additional half hour or until rice is cooked through. Additional water may be added to thin out soup as desired.
If you have ground beef on hand, or even some left over hamburger patties, here is a recipe for melt-in-your-mouth Salisbury Steak that simmers the meat in broth for 25 minutes. The recipe calls for beef broth, but you can easily substitute chicken or vegetable broths.

Delicious Chicken Pot Pie uses one and a half cups of chicken broth for a quick and hearty weeknight meal.




Read more: http://recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_to_make_with_chicken_broth#ixzz0TjLHw7Ld

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My mother was from the same generation as CAnn's mother and also used Bell's Seasonings and Gravy Master a lot (thereby so do I)!

My mother is fortunately still living and cooking, I really ought to write some of her "recipes" down (she's of the school that uses a little of this and a little of that).

This got me thinking that there's sure to be others of their generation who'd be familiar with a recipe like this. Maybe it was on the Bell's Seasonings box? I searched around a bit online for "old time" recipes using Bell's Seasonings. I came up with things like this, maybe they'll help. (Could it be that your Mom used any of the "Cream of" soups to thicken?)

http://www.oldcolonyclub.org/Cookbook/WebHelp/Recipes_Folder/Club_Standards/Chicken_Soup.htm

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1639,143185-247198,00.html

 

[robinb]

Is your mom responsive at all? Maybe this would be one of those strange memory things that she could just rattle off?

That's what I was thinking. People with Alzheimer's often remember things way back in the past but not in the recent past. If she's responsive then maybe you can approach her with a question about that great soup she makes with the left over chicken and macaroni. She may be able to tell you if she made it as a young woman.

 

[jfoofj]

Ok... this is by no means the "proper" way to thicken a soup, but it worked for me in a pinch when I made a beef stew that was more beef soup than beef stew... I added imitation potato flakes (yes, I use them, no flames please!!!) and it thickened it up nicely. Not too much, just enough to see a difference. Everyone loved the stew, too and there were no leftovers so I have no idea how it would have done in the fridge or reheated.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I think boiling the pasta in the soup would be the most likely change too. The pasta would soak up lots of the liquid and the longer it would sit the thicker it would probably get, also the starch from the pasta would thicken anything it was sitting in while it cooked. Just remember your Mom probably used an entire pound in the soup to feed her family so a cup of pasta for yourself in an entire pot wouldn't work.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

That's what I was thinking. People with Alzheimer's often remember things way back in the past but not in the recent past. If she's responsive then maybe you can approach her with a question about that great soup she makes with the left over chicken and macaroni. She may be able to tell you if she made it as a young woman.

I also agree w/this. My uncle w/Alzheimers can't remember that I visited him last week, but if I talk about stuff from way back, like the 70s, he remembers everything! More than I do. He can name every dog they had back then but not his dogs of recent years.

My Mom & Grandmothers use(d) flour to thicken everything from soup to gravy.

Good luck & if you find the "missing link" do let us know. I would enjoy a "new" soup recipe.

 

[stsomewhere]

You could try cream of chicken soup.

 

[sunnyday123]

My Grandmother used to make a chicken soup and at the end she cracked an egg into it and mixed it up. The hot soup cooked the egg, and thickend it slightly. The thought of eating soup like that now scares the bejeezus out of me, but it was really good.

I'd go with the roux.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks for all the great suggestions here! I won't be trying this today or tomorrow (I'm baking for a charity benefit), but hope to get to it later in the week..

I looked in my cabinet and found that I have two containers of Swanson Chicken Stock (thought I only had one), so I'm going to play around with small amounts of the suggested ideas here, add the Bell's seasoning, and try to figure out which one is right before I use up my elbow macaroni and chicken.. I "should" be able to tell if it's right by the consistency, appearance, and taste..

For those who suggested talking to my mom - that's not possible.. She's in a nursing home located quite far away from where I live and although I can call the home to speak to her, she no longer uses "words".. All she does is "giggle" and hang on to her little baby doll for dear life.. There were so many things she used to make - "stored in her head" - that I could kick myself for not having asked her about years ago so I could write them down.. Ditto for my grandma's bread pudding - she took the recipe to her grave with her..

Anyhow - I appreciate the responses and will let you all know how it turns out - probably later this week.. I would be soooooo happy if one of these ideas turns out to be the right one!!

 

[damo]

My mom made a similar soup. She would fry up a few slices of bacon and then add flour to the drippings to make the paste. Then add her stock and potatoes and veggies.