Chicken Corn Soup

At home in Pennsylvania this soup is really popular, and whenever I'm hungry for home I make Chicken Corn Soup.  There isn't anything simpler, but it's sweet and comforting and hearty without being heavy.

As My Little Man moved from being a toddler into the preschool years, I began to make soup again (I unconsciously avoided them before that - maybe because it was just too difficult to feed to young children).   To my dismay, he abhorred soup and complained about each and every variety - except this one.  As a corn addict, he thought this soup was awesome.  I crushed crackers in it to make it easier for him to eat, and he cleaned his bowl each and every time.

So if you'd like to make your own Chicken Corn Soup, here's what you'll need:

• chicken - I like to use split chicken breasts
• several cups of corn - I use the corn that we bagged and froze last summer
• water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can of creamed corn (optional)

To make your soup, just:

1. Boil your chicken.  I put it in a Dutch oven and bring it to a boil, then turn it down and let it simmer for an hour.  This will both cook your chicken and create yummy broth for your soup, all at the same time.
2. Remove the chieken from the broth.
3. Cool the chicken, then shred with forks.
4. Chill the broth.  I just put the whole pot in the fridge until the next day.
5. Skim the fat off the top of the broth.  This can be done easily with a slotted spoon or a spider.
6. Return the pot to the stovetop.  Add the chicken back into the broth, adding a cup or two of water if necessary.
7. Add the corn to the pot.  If you'd like it to be a bit thicker and sweeter, add canned creamed corn.  (My husband prefers it this way.)
8. Let your soup simmer for about ten minutes and serve with crackers.

I love to make this soup as we head into spring.  The sweet corn flavor just promises summer and warm days ahead!

What's your favorite meal for these back-and-forth spring days??