Homemade Chicken Soup
Nothing is better when it gets cold outside or when you have a cold than soup. Homemade chicken soup to be exact. Here's my recipe for the ultimate feel-better meal.
It’s 17 degrees here today in Louisville. All Potters have the gunk of some form or fashion. There is only one remedy. There is no co-pay, no loading your kids in the car and everyone will like it: homemade chicken soup. This is a master recipe, from which you could do many variations. Think tortilla soup, Italian chicken soup, the world is your oyster here.
I make my own chicken broth and hoard it for soups in my freezer. This is entirely not necessary, just something I like to do. I’m going to give you the basic recipe with broth in a carton/can and then show you at the end how to make your own broth in the future.
Homemade Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 6-8 cups chicken broth carton, can or homemade
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- kosher salt fresh ground pepper
- 1-2 cups pasta of your choice. I usually use 1/2 a box of pappardelle or egg noodles.
- optional: 5 sprigs fresh thyme or 5 spigs fresh oregano
Instructions
- Take your thawed chicken and rinse thoroughly, making sure to dispose of the center bag of gizzards, guts etc. Set the chicken aside.
- Wash and chop your onion, carrots and celery. You can add more than is called for in the recipe. Set the onion skins, celery and carrot ends aside-do not discard them.
- In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute onion, carrots and celery until soft. Add in entire chicken and brown a bit on all sides, about a minute on front and back will do. Then add broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken bouillon cubes until they are dissolved. Then add salt and pepper to taste. After it is boiling turn it down to low and cover. There should be enough broth to almost cover the chicken. Allow this to cook for at least 30-40 minutes on low.
- Take chicken (carefully) out of the pot and place in a bowl. Let it cool for a minute and then start taking off the meat with your hands or two forks. (Be sure it is cooked all the way through. If not, put the whole bird back in the pot) It needs to be shredded or in bite size hunks. Place pulled chicken meat back in the pot. Add parsley to the soup.
- Take the chicken carcass and place in a ziploc bag with the vegetable odds and ends. Place this in the freezer and this is your future chicken broth.
- Place pasta in the soup to cook. When this is done, about 10 minutes, then your soup is done.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Chicken Broth:
On a future date, you can make a broth with the carcass and leftover ends of the vegetables. I prefer to use two carcasses when I make my broth.
Fill a stockpot 2/3 full with water. Set on high heat. Add your carcasses and all leftover vegetables. I also add kosher salt and whole peppercorns.
Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 2 hours. Place another pot in the sink and put your colander on top of it. Drain the broth stockpot into the empty pot. Discard all the stuff in the colander and now you have just broth. Let this cool and then place the chicken soup into jars or Tupperware containers in the freezer for future use.
Do you feel a little like Martha Stewart yet?
Soup: It’s a Good Thing.
