Chicken soup for all that ails you

Chicken second courses

I haven't looked at many recipes I have from my mom in a number of years until this week. It's been fun to revisit them all, but one thing I noticed was how much my eating (and cooking) habits have changed over the years. This wonderful, filling soup is a good example as it incorporates a fair amount of cream, but it is one of my favorite recipes from my mom that I've cooked the most through the years. It, for me, epitomizes comfort food and is guaranteed to make you feel better if you have a cold, or if you're just feeling sad. Many years ago when I was living in Boston, neighbors in my complex would knock on my door when they smelled it cooking! One kind of unusual thing about the soup is that it incorporates rinsed, finely chopped sauerkraut to add a little more bulk to the soup. Even if you dislike sauerkraut, I encourage you to include it as you won't notice the taste since it should be well rinsed. My dad hated sauerkraut, and my mom made me promise never to tell him this favorite soup of his included that much hated vegetable. (I never did.) I find if the sauerkraut is omitted, the soup loses some critical bulk and seems too liquidy. This soup is filling enough that it can be accompanied by a salad and some bread from last week's contest and you have a meal. I'm sure it's just as tasty without all that cream, but I confess I've never tried it that way.