So moving right along...
I'm not much of a soup fan. Soup seriously takes way more effort than it's worth. Stew is a maybe. But most soups, especially brothy soups, are just a cheap imitation of a meal. Plus most of it ends up dribbling down your chin. It's not just me right?? Well, maybe I'm not very talented at eating soup. Whatever. Anyway, I generally never eat soup. But yesterday both Daphne and I had yucky-tummy. Nothing sounded good to us except chicken soup. And Campbells, I'm sorry to say, is the worst version of soup because there is hardly anything in it but the mess. That left me no choice but to make chicken soup from scratch, something I (for obvious reasons) have never done.
So I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that had ALL FIVE STARS for its user rating, which rarely happens, so I figured it was sure to turn out well. AND I happened to have all the ingredients on hand. So guess what? It did turn out well! And the best part? The recipe actually called for the half eaten carcass of our rotisserie chicken from a couple of days ago that I had been keeping in the fridge on the off chance that I would need the remaining chicken for something even though I never do and always end up throwing it away a week later. Bonus!
This recipe is for a ton of people. I halfed it and it was plenty for the four of us for dinner and at least 2-3 servings to go in the fridge. I served it with a delicious ciabatta bread from Kneaders, but I have a recipe for amazing homemade ciabatta bread that I would have used if I had known 24 hours ahead of time that I would have yucky-tummy and an chance to actually use up my rotisserie chicken. (It's an easy recipe but you do have to start the dough 24 hours before and let it sit. I'll post it if anyone is interested.)
Five Star Chicken Soup
First you make the base:
2 quarts chicken broth
1 quart water
1 store-bought roast chicken
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, cut into medium dice
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half rounds, depending on size
2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Directions
1. Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large soup kettle. Meanwhile, separate chicken meat from skin and bones; reserve meat. Add skin and bones to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until bones release their flavor, 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Strain broth through a colander into a large container; reserve broth and discard skin and bones. Return kettle to burner set on medium-high.
3. Add oil, then onions, carrots and celery. Saute until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken, broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Return to a simmer before adding the extras of your choice.)
3 cups egg noodles (I let the kids choose the shape. They went with bow ties.)
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Add 3 cups egg noodles, then simmer until tender, 10-20 minutes: (I only simmered mine as long as the noodles said to, which was 7 minutes)
3. Before removing from heat, stir in: 1 cup (5 ounces) frozen green peas and 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley. (The peas will be fully cooked by the time the soup is served.)
4.Final touch: Add salt and pepper, to taste.
So there you have it. Delicous! And very good for a yucky tummy. And actually it was quite easy, but the de-meating and simmering parts take a while, so make sure to start this soup well ahead of time. Also, if anyone wants my recipe for amazing crusty artisan bread with a chewy center, let me know.
4 comments:
WOW! That sounds so good I want to make it right now!
Do you remember the chicken soup I used to make for Sunday company when you were little: I added every KIND of veggie, including broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peas, carrots, beans, corn, rice, noodles, & tons of chicken meat. And then I made homemade white rolls.
Once when we invited Bithells over a second time, and I said, "We're only having chicken soup," Tom said, Yeah, but I KNOW your chicken soup! It would fortify armed men.
You could almost stand up a spoon in it, it had so much stuff. Yours sounds more elegant.
Those mini farfalle do it for my kids, they're too cute not to eat.
I don't mind recipes, especially this time of year.
L,
I remember about 15 years ago you showed me how to make really good chicken stock and you told me that you could never forget what herbs to use because you used the lyrics to Scarborough Fair.
I've always had to add a ton of bullion and canned Swanson broth to my broth to get enough flavor. I consider it cheating, but it's a time saver. I've never been able to make anything that good using just a chicken and the Scarborough seasonings. I think you used a pressure cooker.
I'm also a big fan of the 8 pack of Progeresso from Costco. I can't really bring myself to eat too much of the meat though.
I love soup, and that sounds amazing!
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