its time for some caldo

which is soup in spanish. well its a kind of soup. anyway, my little guy is sick and there is nothing like some good old, home made chicken soup to make him feel better. the caldo is super simple to make and very delish. caldo de pollo is chicken soup which is what i made. unlike like most recipes that call for sauteing the celery, onion and carrots first then add chicken stock, chicken etc... i make the broth first with the chicken that i will be using. i add a quarter onion and one bay leaf. once the chicken is almost cooked, i strain it and skim off any fat. if you cook the chicken too much, it will turn out hard and chewy. i chop and add whatever vegtables i have on hand - carrots, celery, cauliflower, potato, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini (use whatever is in your fridge), let it simmer for about 5 minutes and add the cooked chicken, season with salt and pepper add a squeeze of lemon, some sprigs of cilantro and turn it off. because i make my soup in a cast iron dutch oven, it continues to cook on its own. i must say its not as good as my mom's, but it is getting there.