Chicken Gravy -- The Soup That Said Everything Was Going to Be Okay

2021. A new number on the calendar and the same pandemic on the road. I hauled my first load of the year on January 2 — frozen beef to Lincoln, because the year may be new but the beef is eternal and Lincoln always needs it. The slow cooker had beef barley soup, because January demands density, demands warmth, demands food with the structural integrity to fight the cold, and beef barley soup is structural food, foundation food, the rebar of the soup world.

The kids went back to school — hybrid, still hybrid, the two-days-in, three-days-out schedule that has become the furniture of their education. Tyler has stopped complaining about it. Justin never complained. Amber prefers remote and has asked to stay fully remote for the rest of the year, which the school approved because Amber's grades are impeccable and the school has bigger battles. Josie adjusts because Josie adjusts to everything — she is water, finding the shape of whatever container the world puts her in, and the shape of pandemic schooling is the shape Josie has become.

Gayle got her first vaccine dose. I drove her to the mass vaccination site at the fairgrounds — the same fairgrounds where we watch fireworks and the Livestock Expo, now repurposed as a medical facility, which is the kind of civic transformation that only happens in emergencies and which reminds you that the infrastructure of a community is flexible if the community is willing. Gayle rolled up her sleeve and looked at the nurse and said, 'I have been waiting for this since March.' The nurse said, 'You and everyone else.' Gayle said, 'I doubt they waited as impatiently.' The nurse laughed. Gayle does not intend to be funny. Gayle is funny the way Nebraska is flat — inherently, without trying.

I made chicken soup for Gayle after the vaccine — the theory being that chicken soup cures everything and the practice being that Gayle felt fine and ate the soup anyway because refusing my soup is not an option and Gayle has learned which battles to fight. She ate two bowls. She said her arm was sore. She said it was worth it. She said she might even get the second dose. I said you will get the second dose, Mom. She said we will see. We both knew she would.

I said I made chicken soup for Gayle, and that’s true in spirit — but what I actually made was this chicken gravy, ladled over biscuits and served with the kind of quiet ceremony that the moment deserved. There’s something about a thick, golden gravy that feels more substantial than broth on a day when your mother finally rolled up her sleeve and let the world start to mend. It’s not fussy, it doesn’t demand anything from you, and it tastes like someone was paying attention — which, for Gayle, was exactly the point.

Chicken Gravy

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the roux. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once foaming subsides, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes until the mixture turns a light golden color and smells faintly nutty.
2. Add the broth. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, about 3–4 minutes.
3. Add the milk and seasoning. Stir in the milk or cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.
4. Add the chicken. Stir in the shredded or diced cooked chicken and heat through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve. Ladle over biscuits, mashed potatoes, or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley if using. Serve hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg