Chicken Soup (With Mushrooms and Tarragon) for the Student Soul

Before winter really sets in, put aside some time in the kitchen to prepare yourself for the cold. Cooking a full-size recipe for soups and stews and then freezing individual portions in plastic bags gives you a ready supply of warming meals.

Be sure to cool foods thoroughly before freezing and avoid adding pasta to soups, since it will absorb too much water and become bloated and mushy. To reheat, simply place the bags in a bowl and microwave for two minutes. Transfer the contents to the bowl, stir, and microwave two minutes more or until hot.

Chicken, Zucchini, and Chickpeas With Couscous

(adapted from Mark Bittman and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Simple to Spectacular)

1 cup couscous

3/4 cup golden raisins

4 Tbsp. olive oil

4 cups chicken stock

3/4 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne powder (or more, as you prefer)

3/4 tsp. curry powder

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken, sliced in 2-in. pieces

3 small zucchini, sliced in 1⁄4-in. pieces

1 small can chopped tomatoes

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

1. In bowl, combine couscous, raisins, one Tbsp. olive oil, and two cups hot chicken stock. Cover and set aside 15 minutes. Stir lightly with a fork before serving.

2. In large sauté pan over medium high, heat remaining olive oil. Add spices, garlic, and chicken; cook, stirring quickly, until chicken is browned, three to four minutes. Remove and set aside. Add zucchini and brown, three to four minutes. Return chicken to pan; add tomatoes and remaining stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.

3. Check seasonings and add chickpeas. Simmer five minutes more, until broth has reduced. Stir in fresh herbs before serving with couscous.

Moroccan Harira Soup With Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast

2 medium onions, halved and chopped

1 carrot, halved

5 cloves garlic

Flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. cumin

3/4 tsp. turmeric (If you don’t have this, you’ll be fine; just increase the cumin or cinnamon)

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes

Salt and pepper

1–2 cubes chicken bullion (optional)

1/2–3/4 cup lentils

1/2–3/4 cup broken vermicelli

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Lemon wedges to serve

1. Place chicken, half an onion, carrot pieces, two cloves of garlic, and a few sprigs of parsley in a three-quart saucepan. Cover with hot water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer chicken breast 15 minutes. Remove chicken breast and set aside to cool. Discard vegetables and transfer broth to large bowl.

2. Return empty saucepan to burner on medium-high and add olive oil. Add remaining chopped onion, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, and sauté three to four minutes, until onion is soft. Add crushed garlic; sauté two to three minutes more.

3. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and enough water to make about eight cups total liquid, depending on how thick you want your soup. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat eight to 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding chicken bullion a half-cube at a time as needed.

4. Meanwhile, cut chicken breast into bite-size pieces.

5. Add half a cup of lentils. Cook five minutes, then add vermicelli (remember to prepare the pasta separately for soups that won’t be eaten immediately) and chickpeas. When vermicelli and lentils are almost tender, taste for final seasonings and add cooked chicken.

6. Add a few tablespoons of chopped parsley or cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken With Mushrooms and Tarragon

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

1 medium red onion, sliced into half-moons

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken (mix breast and thighs), chopped in 1 1/2–2 in. pieces

3 cups button mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbsp. flour

1/2 cup white wine (optional)

1 1/2–2 cups chicken stock

1/2 Tbsp. dried tarragon or 2–3 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

Salt and pepper

2/3 cup heavy cream

1. In large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high, then add butter. Swirl to melt without browning, then add onion and sauté five minutes, until soft and translucent. Add chicken and brown on all sides, three to four minutes (do this in two batches if your saucepan seems crowded). Add mushrooms, stirring, and cook four to five minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir.

2. Add white wine and stir, scraping bottom of the pan. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat.

3. Add tarragon and simmer 10-15 minutes, ’till everything is tender and the broth has reduced. Season with pepper and stir in cream. Simmer five minutes more and check seasonings. Serve over rice.

Savoy Cabbage and Cannellini Bean Soup With Sausage

3 Tbsp. olive oil

5 links fresh Italian sausage

1 large onion, sliced in half-moons

1 small head Savoy (curly-leafed) cabbage, cut in half through the stem and sliced crosswise into strips

4 cloves garlic, crushed

6–8 cups chicken broth

1 sprig rosemary (optional)

Salt and pepper

2/3 cup ditalini or elbow macaroni

1 large or 2 small cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan (at least three quarts) over medium-high heat. Add sausages and cook, turning, to brown on all sides, about seven to eight minutes. Remove and set aside. Drain oil, leaving about two Tbsp. in pan.

2. Add onion and cabbage. Cook, stirring gently, until cabbage has given off most of its water and onion is soft, about eight minutes. Add garlic, cooking three minutes more.

3. Add chicken broth, pepper, and sprig of rosemary if desired; bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Slice the sausages 1⁄4 in. thick. Add sausage and beans to soup. Add pasta (cook separately if freezing soup for later). Simmer 10 minutes more, until pasta is tender.

5. Remove rosemary sprig and check seasonings.