Gluten Free Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup

    There's something about chicken soup.  Every mom will probably say chicken soup works when their kids get sick.  I honestly think it helps.   Did you know they've actually done scientific studies on chicken soup, and  our grandmother's knew what they were doing when they made up a pot of soup as soon as someone started coming down with something!  

   I made this soup last week when I went to visit my 28 year old daughter who was coming down with the flu. On top of everything else she was doing, this soup helped make her well in just two days.  It was so good, I made some again tonight. 

 I got this recipe out of a Mexican cookbook  about 20 years ago. I wore it down because the cookbook said it was a good soup for colds and flu.

MEXICAN FIESTA CHICKEN SOUP

1.  Prepare the chicken:   If you prefer, cut off the fat on a whole chicken.

2.  Prepare veggies:
(1)  Chop 1 onion
(2)  Slice 2 carrots
(3)  Slice 2-3 stalks of celery with the leaves
(4)  Chop 2 sprigs of parsley
(5)  Dice 2 cloves of garlic
(6)  Chop up 1 cup of cilantro and put in a small bowl for garnishing the soup before serving
(7)  Chop up 2-3 green onions  and put in a small bowl for garnishing the soup before serving.

3.  Making the broth:
(1)  Put 12 cups of water into a large stockpot.
(2)  Put in the chicken plus the juice of one lemon and  cook it on medium high heat for about 20-30 minutes.  Skim off the foam while it's cooking making sure the water doesn't come to a boil.
(3)  Add the vegetables and let them simmer about 2-3 hours.
(4)  Add 1 T salt,  5 peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf.
(5)  Before serving add a can of mild green chilies.
(6)  Taste the soup and adjust seasonings.

4.  Make a pot of rice or noodles according to directions.  Let each person add as many as they want to their bowl.

5.  Assemble:  Put bowls of noodles, cilantro, and green onions next to the soup pot.  Everyone can ladle their own soup and add as much as they like of each.  Pass the salt and pepper to get it to taste.

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes: 

Beef 

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht   (A Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)

Mouth Watering Italian  Sausage Soup   (This is  my friend Debbie's recipe)
Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend from Arkansas)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country-Style Lentil Soup   (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Spicy Cuban Black Bean Soup (From a store recipe card)

Vegetable

Creamy Pumpkin Soup  (from Food Network)
My Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Curry Soup  (Combo from Food & All Recipes)
Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Asian
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage (Modified from Internet search by our Chinese students)
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (Modified from a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Modified  from a student's recipe)

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students  (Modified Recipe)
Asian Curried Chicken Soup  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)