Thursday, February 25, 2010

Chicken Soup

I interrupt this blog break on a mission of mercy.  Sweet Kim of Daisy Cottage is feeling under the weather and has requested the recipe for my home made chicken soup.  This soup is my secret weapon against colds, flu and just about anything you can name that makes you feel bad. I've driven two hours to take it to my daughter who was sick at college. My mother-in-law asks for it when she is sick. I should be famous.
Now chicken soup is one of the simplest things to make, and no, I'm not talking about opening a can.  It all starts with a roasted chicken. That is what gives the broth it's rich flavor. you can't make broth by boiling raw chicken, you just can't. If you don't want to go to the time and trouble to roast your own, run to the store and pick up one of those rotisserie chickens that everyone has.  I got this one at Kroger and it was on sale. I'll get at least two meals from it because I use the bones for broth.  Always, always make broth if you buy these!  You can freeze it in one cup plastic containers and you will have it whenever you need it.
These are the ingredients you will need.  A roasted chicken, onion (I used a sweet onion, but a regular yellow onion is just as good), carrots, celery, chopped garlic, and whatever kind of noodles you like. I like the skinnier noodles.
Remove all the meat from the bones.  Take the skin off and throw it, and all the bones, into a separate pot. The skin does have fat, but that is where a lot of the flavor is. If you want, you can chill the broth when you are done and skin off the fat. It's easy.
Add just enough water to the skin and bones to barely cover them. Cover and simmer on a low setting for a couple hours.  This is all you need. Don't add anything else to the broth.
While the broth is simmering, add about a Tablespoon of olive oil to a pot. I am going to warn you right now, I cook the way my grandmother did, is everything measured exactly the same every time? Goodness no, this is so easy you don't need a real recipe, trust me. This isn't rocket science, it's just soup,  just eyeball everything and  it will be great.
Heat your oil a bit and add one small to medium chopped  onion , a couple stalks of chopped celery, and about a half teaspoon of minced garlic.  Here is where you can fudge a little. If you like onion or celery or garlic a lot, add a little more! 
Cook the onion, garlic and celery for about 5 minutes or so until they start to get soft and brown a little bit.
Add  about 8 cups of broth, and sliced, uncooked carrots. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the carrots start to get soft.  I used 2 regular size carrots but I could have used more because I love carrots in my soup. Add whatever makes you happy. really.
Now I happened to have some home made broth already on hand, so I kind of cheated, but this is why you should always use the carcass of your roast chicken for broth, that way you won't have to wait a couple hours while it simmers.  Below is a comparison, the home made broth is on the right and canned broth is on the left.  You can see how much richer the roast chicken broth is and the flavor is so much better. It isn't loaded with as much sodium either.  Of course, if you have some canned broth on hand and want to use it, go ahead!   I didn't have quite enough home made so I added a couple cans of broth to the soup to have enough. Whatever works.

 Once the carrots are getting soft you can shred up some of the chicken that you removed from the bones, or chop it coarsly. It's all a matter of preference.  The chicken is already cooked so to keep it moist I add it at the end and don't boil it to death, that makes it dry. I hate dry flavorless chicken in my soup. Don't you?
Stir it up and let the carrots finish cooking, about another 10-15 minutes.
Now add your noodles, I added about a cup. The noodles swell as they cook so take that into account. Once again, use the kind you like and if you like less noodles, use less noodles.  I like a nice thick, hearty soup.  So I add enough vegetables, meat and noodles to really fill my bowl. Cook the noodles til soft, about 10 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste and then you're done! So simple but real homemade soup is just what you need when you are sick.  When my mother-in-love was going through chemo she lost her appetite. We begged her to eat, the doctors and nurses begged her to eat. It's one of the side effects of the chemo though and she just couldn't even stand the thought of food.  One day she told me that the only thing she wanted was my soup. I ran home and made it. The hospital froze it in small portions and she ate it! I was so happy:>)  This soup will cure what ails you, as my grandmother used to say.  I know a few of you have been battling upper respiratory infections and colds.  This recipe is for you. If I could I would make it and bring it to your homes, this is the next best thing. 
So this bowl is for you Kim and for Dolly and anyone else who has been feeling sick.  I'm sending big hugs and wishes your way for feeling better:>) I would send you flowers too but blogger won't let me add one more photo to this already long post!  Just know that I hope you feel better soon:>)

XO
Kathy
Oh, by the way, when your broth is done let it cool a bit and then pour it through a strainer and discard the skin and bones, but you knew that right?:>)

35 comments:

  1. I
    Love
    You.

    What a sweetheart.
    Thank you SO much.

    What a beautiful soup.

    sigh.
    I can't wait to have it.

    Love,
    Kim

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  2. Your reading my mind...guess what my pie is for my Friday is Pieday????
    your soup looks wonderful...I am a soupaholic..love to eat them and love to make them.

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  3. I truly can not believe you just posted this recipe. I was just searching allrecipes.com because I've never made chicken soup. I already bought the roasted chicken and the noodles. I am making your recipe tonight!! Thanks.

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  4. WOW! I could have written this recipe. It's exactly how I make it! I, too, buy the rotisserie chicken! There's just the two of us and we're not big eaters, so I get a hot chicken dinner, chicken sandwiches for lunch the next day and there's STILL enough to make soup! It's the best!!!
    ♥´¨)
    ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ HAVE A GREAT DAY!♥

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  5. Sounds similar to what I make. To me, homemade chicken soup is the ultimate comfort food, especially when one isn't feeling well!

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  6. Oh my gosh, I woke up with a fever and sore throat today and this looks SO GOOD!! I think I might have to have Chad stop at Meijer and get a rotiserie chicken! Thank you so much Kathy, I love ya!
    Amy

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  7. okay, I'm out to get some roasted chicken right now!!!

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  8. I am going to make this beautiful soup TOMORROW!! Thanks, Kathy, for this wonderful recipe. We ALL love you!
    xo bj

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  9. Oh, thank you! I can't wait to make some chicken soup! I've tried a couple of recipes and not been happy with them. I know we'll love yours. Think I'll make some and put it in the freezer for days when one of us is 'under the weather'. ~Adrienne~

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  10. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been looking for a really good, home made chicken soup recipe and I this is it! I'm excited about trying this.It's a keeper!!
    Patricia :o)

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  11. I have read that chicken soup actually does help in getting rid of a cold.
    I feel better looking at it and I haven't even been sick LOL!
    Can't wait to try it :)

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  12. Kathy, the soup was a complete hit!! Even my younger son, who doesn't eat much soup, loved it. I can't believe I've been married for 21 years and just made chicken soup for the first time. My husband hates it...so I'll be making it when he's out of town...which is often.

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  13. I do exactly the same as you Kathy! Except, I leave the skin on....bad I know.

    It cures colds, the blues, cabin fever and more.

    I know this will make Kim feel all better...
    xo
    Penny

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  14. that looks so rich in flavor! yum.
    i love to make soup and i will make that one for sure :)
    blessings,
    aimee

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  15. I agree with you about using a roasted chicken to make stock for your soup. There is nothing more satisfying and comforting than a big pot of chicken soup. Yours looks very yummy!

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

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  16. THAT LOOKS WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!

    Thank you sweetheart....I can't wait to make this yummy looking soup. Actually I wish I could climb thru the computer screen and come to your house for soup and tea! :-)

    Kathy you are so thoughtful.....
    I am blessed to call you friend!

    Big Hugz,
    Dolly

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  17. Oh, that looks so yummy and would go so well on a cold snowy day like today.
    The chicken looked yummy before the soup. That chicken would have never made it to the soup pot around here. LOL!

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  18. pssst...

    I made it!!!

    Come see!

    ;-)

    xo,
    Me

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  19. I LOVE the opening of your post...what an eye catcher! I came over from The Daisy Cottage and am thankful for the broth tips. I often roast a chicken but now I will save the carcass and make a broth...thanks to you and Kim.

    So there WAS something good that came from Kim's illness!

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  20. well i'm not feeling sick but can i still have a bowl..:) it looks so delicious, great time to be having a bowl while its cold out.

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  21. Gosh, Kathy, this soup looks so lucious!

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  22. It looks so delicious!! I love soup and chicken noodle is a favorite. Perfect for this weather in the east!!

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  23. Hi Kathy,

    On my goodness - thank you so much for the delicious soup recipe. I just baked a chicken and it is pouring down rain in Southern California - the perfect time to make soup and boil the bones for stock. yummy - can't wait until it is done.
    Blessings,
    Erin

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  24. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us! I can't wait to try this out. I can see why the roasted chicken would make a better broth!!

    Stay well!!

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  25. I just made this soup for my husband and sons and all I have to say is, "Wow!" They LOVED it (as did I) and have already asked me to make more.

    Thank you so much for posting this. It just became my family's favorite!

    ~Tara

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  26. Sounds like a great recipe! I'm a big fan of those rotisserie chickens already, can't wait to try making soup!

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  27. This looks absolutely delicious Kathy! I just copied it down so we can make it next week...
    Yu really are such a dear and wonderful lady!
    Love,
    Sue

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  28. MMMMMM.....
    .....MMMMMMMM.....
    ...........GOOD!......kathy's homemade chicken noodle soup is MMMM..MMMM.GOOD!!!!!

    How so sweet of you to make some for our wondeful friends! I am going to try out your version soon! Thank you, Kathy!

    ((hugs))
    becky

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  29. The pictures for this recipe are making my mouth water. Isn't it wonderful to have a get better quick medicine for a flu/cold like this one. It looks so delicious and I love your plate and bowl also.

    I hope everyone feels so much better!
    have a great day..
    Judi

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  30. I made this soup it was WONDERFUL!
    Thanks for posting it.
    Kay :)

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  31. that soup looks so yummy! i can't wait to give it a whirl.

    ps. love the photos you take :)

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  32. Thanks a million, Kathy! Is this pinned somewhere?

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  33. And here I am 6 years later and making your soup for me (sick again) and for my mom who has it too. Thank you for your soup love after all these years!

    xo,
    Kim

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