Soup is a Meal

Remember that scene in Seinfeld where Kenny Bania finagles a meal from Jerry after giving him an Armani suit?  Jerry accepted the suit, but then realized the meal was  attached to the gift. In Mendy’s restaurant, instead of ordering a meal, Bania orders soup, claiming he’ll have his meal another time. Jerry insists that soup is his meal – soup is a meal!I made chicken soup yesterday. Oh sure, it was hot and humid outside, but the A/C kept the house cool, and I wanted to make soup. For the first time since I started making chicken soup, I cheated. I did not boil a whole chicken. I couldn’t bear the thought of waiting for the chicken to cool, then pulling it apart. So I boiled up some bonelesschicken breast, shredded it once it had cooled (no bones, no mess!), added chopped celery and carrots, low-sodium broth, and used leftover brown rice. Easy-peasy and there’s supper.Watching footage of the starvation in Somalia is a harsh reminder of the abundance in our cupboards and refrigerators. We toss lettuce because the edges have browned, or leftovers because we want something different.  I’ve been guilty of those things, but am consciously trying to do better. A brown banana goes into a smoothie for breakfast;the leftover coffee in the pot can be poured into a jug for iced coffee later.And chicken soup? It’s delicious, comforting, and yes, it’s a meal.