Recipe Weds - Anne's Garlicky-Chicken-Lemon Soup

Small storms have been rolling through our area for the last couple of days, spitting on us as they pass overhead.  It's strange weather - moments of sunshine followed by a five minute torrential downpour, to only be replaced by sun a moment later.  On our way to my kids' dentist appointment this morning, I drove through a section of Santa Clara where it was sunny AND raining at the same time.  Freaky weather...

After battling the dentist, the strange weather, and a wickedly cold wind, I was more than happy to come home and hide in my little apartment.  As I stared into the depths of my freezer, looking for some dinner inspiration, the image of homemade soup suddenly started dancing in my head.  And not just any soup but my favorite Garlicky-Chicken-Lemon Soup.  MMmmmm....

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Anne's Garlicky-Chicken-Lemon Soup

((This meal is my 'cure for what ails you' meal.  I make it when I need something to help heal my soul and/or body.  There's enough garlic in here to make any bacteria in your body run and hide and the chicken broth is wonderful for colds.))

Ingredients:

• 20 cloves of garlic
• oil and butter - your choice of what kind
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced thin
• 3 carrots, sliced thin
• 12+ oz cooked chicken 
• 6 cups chicken broth (homemade prefered - if not homemade, then use the "low sodium" stuff from the can)
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Add enough oil/butter to cover the bottom of a large stew pot.(I use a mix of lard and butter - the lard heightens the smoke point of the mixture so I don't have to babysit it as much.)
2. Toss in the 20 cloves of garlic.
3. Cover and cook on low heat, mixing periodically, until the garlic is soft.
4. Carefully smash/mash the garlic cloves with a potato masher or the bottom of a glass/coffee cup.  
5. Add onion, put top back on and let it cook until the onions are translucent and soft.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients except the salt and pepper, put top back on, and let it come to a simmer.  
7. Let this simmer until the carrots are cooked through.
8. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:

• Watch out when cooking the garlic.  Stir often and adjust the heat so it doesn't burn.  If the garlic burns, your house will smell of burnt italian food for days. 
• This makes enough soup to feed my family of three for a couple dinners and maybe a lunch.  I always make a big pot - I love eating this stuff!
• I will warn you - this is a LOT of garlic.  If your system isn't used to eating a lot of garlic, you might want to reel the amount of cloves back a bit.  Also, you WILL smell like garlic for a day or so but really, when you're sick, who cares?  ;-)
• You're welcome to add in other veggies  as you see fit.  This is my basic recipe which I then change around depending on what's on hand and my mood.