soup that hits different especially around this time of year. Â
As the fall semester dwindles down, the cold sets in and nights get longer, lonelier, and much more stressful. I know that there’s one thing I can rely on to make me feel more at home- chicken soup.There’s nothing, and I mean nothing better than a hot bowl of this savory soup to make me feel warm and loved during the holidays. I would describe the consumption of chicken soup like a really warm, long hug from a loved one.Â
When I go home for the holidays my mother makes me this traditional Greek chicken soup called “avgolemono.” It’s an egg and lemon-based soup with rice or orzo and shredded chicken– it’s the perfect cure for seasonal depression.I grew up eating this soup and I could definitely argue that it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted- not just because of the tangy and savory taste that it supplies which makes my mouth water, but because of how it makes me feel. Imagine being wrapped up in a blanket, sitting by a fireplace and warming up your hands on the coldest day of winter as a snowstorm is wreaking havoc outside- this soup makes me feel, safe, warm, and at peace in my own home.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2018/04/avgolemono-soup-greek-lemon-egg-chicken-soup.html
When I’m at school, it’s hard to find something that even comes close to the soup that I grew up with. There aren’t many Greek restaurants in the Scranton area. Yet, the soups at these places don’t even compare to my mom’s home-made Avgolemono though.Â
Chicken soup has helped me through A LOT- colds, homesickness, stress, and heartbreak. Whenever I was feeling sick at home, my mom would make me a steaming hot plate of chicken soup, and I would bask in how the steam would be hitting my face, clearing my sinuses as I breathe in the savory aroma. Along with physical illnesses, chicken soup has also helped me with ailments of the heart. This is not to say I overindulge, because relying on food to cure your problems is NOT healthy, but it was there for me when I needed it most. Getting out of a relationship with the first guy I ever loved was difficult. I don’t like talking about my feelings because to be honest I don’t really validate them; I judge myself way too much for feeling the way I do, but chicken soup doesn’t judge. It wraps me up in that blanket on that cold winter night and tells me that it’s okay to feel.Â
There’s one thing I’ve learned in my 19, almost 20 years of life and that is that chicken soup will never break your heart. It will mend those pieces together and give you a warm blanket to fall back on whenever you’re feeling sad.Â