Chicken soup recipe?

[Rafiki31]

I have never made chicken soup before. I am afraid of chicken carcass. This is how my mom made soup when I was a kid, she woould throw a carcass in a pot. Yikes, I don't know where to begin.

So anywho, I feel a cold coming on and need some chicken soup. Any ideas for a good easy recipe? I'd prefer carcass free, but if I need to just get over it and try it I will.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You can throw in a whole chicken or just a cut up chicken. Be sure to use, legs and thighs, because they get you the "rich broth" taste, from the dark meat.

Throw in your favorite veggies & salt, boil and then simmer for a hour or so. Once that is done take out the bones, cut up meat, throw back in pot.

At the end you can throw in noodles, boil and done.

Feel better.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Well, it's easiest to just throw in a whole chicken, but you can also toss in some chicken breasts and thighs.

I usually toss in a little dry white wine, carrots, celery, onion some peppercorns, a bay leaf or two and maybe some other spices - just depends on what I see when I open the cupboard.

It's not that hard, promise. Let the chicken cook until it's cooked through before you debone it and it's a LOT easier. I was set to deboning mostly cooked chickens when I was itsy. If I could do it while standing on a chair to reach the counter anyone can!

 

[Sandy321]

I've been hooked on Cook's Country - America's Test Kitchen, they have done a couple of Chicken soups, some easy, not complex at all!!

You have to register to get their recipes, and they are very active in shutting down any posts of their recipes!

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=18098

its called Quick and Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup, mind you some dont like America's Test Kitchen because they go into detail, they have tested different recipes and come up with their "best" (for now)

but that's why I like them - I like knowing details... they have an awesome quick baked ziti in one pan (they also have one that takes longer)

 

[Lorix2]

I'm making this right now.

I fill my big pot 1/4 to 1/2 way up with water and some chix bouilion cubes and salt.

Add dill seasoning to cover the top of the water. Add cut carrots.

Boil 2 chix breast on bone with skin until cooked through on med high.

Boil noodles on the side (I use egg noodles).

Shred the chicken when done, throw it back in and add the noodles. You have to adjust the salt amount to your liking.

It's plain and simple, but everyone loves it, especially when they're sick.

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

My grandma, who died 18 years ago at age 101, used to buy chicken backs & necks to put in her soup. Those items weren't all that expensive back then & she had 5 kids to feed. I imagine she put more meat in besides what was on the backs/necks, but the meat from those parts is just so sweet & tender. She always said you need the bones for flavor, no matter what type of soup you're making. Good luck, OP & hope you feel better soon. Tips shown here are great I think.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

My grandma, who died 18 years ago at age 101, used to buy chicken backs & necks to put in her soup. Those items weren't all that expensive back then & she had 5 kids to feed. I imagine she put more meat in besides what was on the backs/necks, but the meat from those parts is just so sweet & tender. She always said you need the bones for flavor, no matter what type of soup you're making. Good luck, OP & hope you feel better soon. Tips shown here are great I think.

You do need the bones for flavor, but you should cook them only until the marrow falls out, no longer. Trust me on this one. I once over cooked a chicken and the bones disintegrated. Talk about nasty!

ETA: If you're just making a nice stock, when the stock clarifies (trust me, you'll know it when it happens) you can take the bones and the spice bits - like the peppercorns and the bay leaves - out.

 

[C&G'sMama]

I roast a whole chicken or turkey. I take most of the meat off the bones, drain off the liquid and stick it in the fridge and throw the carcass in a big pot with water and boil it down. Then I put it through a strainer and pick the rest of the meat of. If it comes with the gizards and neck I boil those down and save the broth.

I'll drain the fat off the liquid from the chicken I usually make the soup the next day so the fat has risen to the top and hardened and is easy to take of. I add that to the broth from the big pot and add the broth from the gizards. You can add bullion or culinary chicken stock but I don't usually need it.

then I cut up carrots and celery, add some salt and pepper to taste and let it boil. From there I add as much meat as looks good and serve. I usually make enough to freeze.

We don't add noodles or rice until ready to serve and I don't freeze it with noodles or rice.


All that being said. I once made a huge pot of turkey soup for a sledding party. Used a 20 lb turkey, we're talking a lot of soup. I get to the park, my leg cramps up and I knock the soup out of the car and on to the ground...

So, I still had turkey because I had extra that I had sliced for sandwiches and we were cooking the noodles there.

So we went to the store, bought bullion, carrots and celery, put it togheter in about and hour and you know what, everybody loved that stupid soup that I didn't labor over

But I still make the real thing for our sledding parties, I'm just not allowed to tranport it any more.

Good Luck

 

[Abbie]

Anyone else reading this and getting hungry for chicken soup??

You can easily make it without using bones. I just fill a large pot about 3/4 full of water, add garlic salt, pepper, cut up carrots and celery (I like using the leafy part at the top as well), a couple of chicken breasts (I use frozen boneless and skinless) and bring to a boil. Add several bouillon cubes, adjust for taste. Simmer until chicken is cooked, then remove. Bring to a boil again and throw in the whatever noodles you want and cook until finished. Just before serving, add cut up cooked chicken.

You could also just skip cooking the chicken in the broth and just add cut up cooked chicken at the last minute.

Hope you feel better!

 

[JoiseyMom]

I make this all the time. Just made a giant pot for the Jewish Holidays (it is almost gone too)! Soup greens - dill (I use 2 bunches), carrots, celery, parnips, turnips and 1 onion. Cut up veggies add to pot. I then add a whole chicken (cut in quarters or 1/8s). Add salt and pepper. Fill pot with water, cook until chicken is done. Remove chicken and either eat or cut up and add back to soup. Continue cooking until veggies are soft. I somestimes throw in some bouillion cubes for a bit more flavor if need be.

This feezes really well also. I always have some in my freezer for when somone is sick or just craving my soup.

I need to make another pot for the holiday coming up Friday too .

 

[robinb]

For me it's a 2-stage process. I use chicken leg quarters for my chicken stock. They are usually pretty cheap. I put a few lbs in a stock pot, add roughly chopped onions, celery, carrots plus salt, whole peppercorns, a couple whole cloves and a couple bay leaves. I fill the pot with water and put it on the stove and let it cook for a few hours. I then drain the stock, throw away the bones, etc and then refrigerate the stock. After a couple of hours the fat, which has risen to the top, will harden and you can scoop it out. Chicken stock freezes well.

Once I make the soup from the stock, I use breast meat because I don't care for dark meat. I then add more veggies, noodles, matzo balls, etc.

 

[bdcp]

I'm making it right now. I boil boneless skinless chicken breasts in chicken stock (low sodium) with onions and garlic and some water. After I cup up the chicken, I put in tomato puree, pureed Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, corn, potatoes, carrots, green peas, cilantro and simmer for several hours. If I have enough time, I put it in the crock pot, but not today. I then cook pasta (usually elbows) and put some in each bowl before adding the soup to it. Yum.

 

[punkin]

I'm looking at these recipes and notice that no one instructs to skim the scum off the stock. Am I the only one who does this. I find stock that wasn't skimmed to be unpalatable.

 

[C&G'sMama]

I'm looking at these recipes and notice that no one instructs to skim the scum off the stock. Am I the only one who does this. I find stock that wasn't skimmed to be unpalatable.

Oh no I do. Like I said, I usually leave the stock in the fridge overnight and skim off the fat. But I count that as the scum. If I don't put it in the fridge then I skim it off best I can while it's still warm.

 

[briannesmom]

I'm looking at these recipes and notice that no one instructs to skim the scum off the stock. Am I the only one who does this. I find stock that wasn't skimmed to be unpalatable.

I skim while its cooking and then strain it through cheesecloth to get any that's leftover.

 

[robinb]

I skim too, but I don't strain other than getting rid of the bones and cooked veggie chunks. The broth would certainly be clearer if I did but most of the leftover stuff sinks to the bottom and I just leave the last 1/2 in my container when I use it once it's been chilled.

 

[punkin]

I skim while its cooking and then strain it through cheesecloth to get any that's leftover.

I skim at the first boil and then turn it down to a simmer. When the stock finishes cooking, I ladle, not pour into another container and that leaves any unskimmed scum behind.

I am currently making a duck broth from a leftover carcass. I have never done this before. I have done something similar from a roast chicken or turkey carcass.

When I make a chicken soup to serve clear (not as the basis of another soup) with noodles or matzah balls, I use a whole raw chicken. It's pretty much like JoiseyMom's recipe except I won't use cubes and I dislike turnips. I also never put the chicken back into the soup. I like my chicken soup clear. The boiled chicken makes great fried rice or a pot pie.

A stock that will be the basis of a soup (with meat and veggies) can be made from a pre-roasted bird.

 

[java]

Get over the carcass fear. We always have a roast chicken for dinner. Then make about 14-18 cups of stock, just by throwing in the carcass, cover with tons of water, add coarsely chopped carrots, use left over onion skins, or chop up an onion, I add some garlic. Whole peppercorns and whatever fresh herbs I have, so usually some thyme,sage and rosemary.
Simmer for 4 hours. Then strain and freeze. That's the base for my future soup.

If the carcass really grosses you out you can just use box stock and then......

I sauté onion and carrot in a bit of olive oil till soft, then add in stock. Heat up, add in chicken, about 10 minutes before you're done throw in noodles or rice. Season with salt and pepper.

 

[Marionnette]

I've been hooked on Cook's Country - America's Test Kitchen, they have done a couple of Chicken soups, some easy, not complex at all!!

You have to register to get their recipes, and they are very active in shutting down any posts of their recipes!

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=18098

its called Quick and Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup, mind you some dont like America's Test Kitchen because they go into detail, they have tested different recipes and come up with their "best" (for now)

but that's why I like them - I like knowing details... they have an awesome quick baked ziti in one pan (they also have one that takes longer)

Love this recipe! It is by far the best chicken noodle soup I've ever had. I just made it for dinner on Thursday.

But be warned that this is not a recipe that you just toss into a pot and come back two hours later to eat. It takes multiple steps in order to layer the flavors.

It makes a very large pot. Two of us got two meals out of it, plus I still have 2 quarts in the freezer to send back to college when the boys come home to do laundry.

 

[dakcp2001]

How do you guys freeze your soups? Ziplocks? Is it ok to freeze a milk based soup?