Mama's Get Well Chicken Soup.

They can do multi-million dollar studies on it if they want, but we all know that chicken soup just makes you feel better when you're sick.

And, at least at our house, I think it actually makes you better, too.

Of course, the last thing you want to do when the crud hits the entire family at once is get out in the kitchen and make chicken soup from scratch. Delicious, nutritious---yes and yes. But sometimes shortcuts are necessary.

So here's a soup you can make from things that are probably already in your pantry. And it's yummy.

Mama's Get Well Chicken Soup

For the base, use 3 cans of chicken noodle soup (undiluted)

and two cans or 4 cups chicken broth

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 can kitchen cut string beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

and/or any other veggies you have and desire

(an especially good one is grated cabbage)

chopped fully cooked Kielbasa (Polish sausage)

to taste:

drizzle olive oil into the soup

garlic powder

dried celery leaves

dried chives

dried cilantro

minced onions (lots!)

a few bits of hot dried red pepper, just to kick it up a nano-notch

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 5 minutes.

The kielbasa will give a wonderful savoriness

to this soup and the chicken and veggies

will be your new best friends.

ENJOY!!

*** A little more complicated, but this Cajun-style chicken soup is very promising! Check it out--yum.

Photo from cookinglouisiana.com.