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Chicken Soup Recipe – Making Your Own

This article is not so much about my own Chicken Soup Recipe, but more about how you can develop your own unique version. I think everyone who likes to cook chicken should be able to make a good soup with it. It’s a great way to use up leftovers, and an even better way to make sure you get enough vegetables in your diet.

While there are countless variations of techniques and ingredients in chicken soup, there is one constant that no one can do without: a good stock or broth. Without this your soup will have a watery taste, and that is no fun to eat. Also, a tasty broth is more likely to be healthier for you, since where there is flavor there is usually also nutrients. A good stock typically contains some gelatin, which comes from dissolved collagen from bones and connective tissue. Gelatin is great for carrying both flavor and nutrients because it can interact with organic molecules better than water can.

So does that mean you have to make your own chicken stock in order to have a good chicken soup recipe? Not necessarily, as there are many good chicken stocks available at grocery stores. I prefer the kind you get in boxes, but the canned stuff is usually good too. I’ll use the powdered or cubed stuff in a pinch, but I find they have too much salt and other flavor enhancers for my liking. I’m also not sure how much gelatin they contain, if any.

However, if you do prefer to make your own stock, there are many excellent Web sites available that give instructions. Basically all you have to do is simmer chicken bones along with some onions, carrots and celery for an hour or two. Regardless of how you make it, there is one piece of advice I can give you that will always work: after the stock is made, remove the solid ingredients, and boil off some of the water to reduce the amount to half. Concentrating the stock will intensify the flavor, making everything you use it in that much more flavorful.

After the stock, your next choice is which vegetables to use. I’ve already mentioned the classic onion, carrot and celery mix, but there are so many other choices available. From time to time I enjoy some chopped spinach in my chicken soup, or any other leafy green I happen to have on hand. Frozen peas are another great option, but remember to add them about 5 minutes before the soup is done cooking, unless you prefer your peas mushy. Tomatoes are another great vegetable to use in chicken soup, and they have the added benefit of bolstering a weak-tasting stock. You can also use “substitute” vegetables to replace some of the classics: fennel in place of celery, leeks or shallots for the onions, parsnips for carrots, etc. And let’s not forget about all the peppers out there, both hot and mild!

When it comes to vegetables, I usually just add whatever I have in my refrigerator. Any leftovers or veggies that are about to expire become candidates. I usually avoid root vegetables as they take longer to cook through, but if they are already cooked then they are fair game too. If not, then just chop them up into small pieces so they cook more quickly.

Next in the list of ingredients to select is the type of starch to add. There are so many to choose from that there is no way I could list them all, but one thing to think of is how much the starch you choose will thicken the broth. This will depend on how quickly it dissolves into the broth and how long you will be cooking it for. Most people don’t want to thicken their chicken soup too much, so pasta is the usual choice for most people. If there is one variant of chicken soup that is more famous than all the others, it would definitely be chicken noodle soup.

But noodles are far from being the only choice. Brown rice is my go-to starch for chicken soup. Like barley, it will thicken a broth given time, but it normally takes more than an hour for that to happen. I like how it swells in the liquid of the soup, and how it adds just a touch of viscosity to it. It helps the flavor of the soup cling to the tongue for just a little bit, enhancing the taste experience.

Lentils are a very healthy starch to use, and there are a lot of varieties to choose from. Red lentils will practically dissolve into the soup, while the little green gems known as Puy lentils will keep their shape almost forever. At the other end of the spectrum are potatoes, which given enough time will thicken a soup enough to stand your spoon in it.

If you want to go for big-time comfort food, then dumplings should be your selection. Personally I have never made dumplings, but I know some people that swear by it.

Lastly, you need to decide what spices and herbs to go for. Chicken has such a neutral flavor that you should pay more attention to matching your spices to your vegetables you used. The basic spices that are considered “classic” would be parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme…just as in the song. These work very well when you use the classic veggies. But when you use other vegetables, then there are some really good combinations available. For instance, if you used tomatoes then you would be making a mistake to leave out the basil. Spinach and marjoram work very well together, while tarragon and fennel make a good pair.

But don’t think just about spice and herbs. If you want a really refreshing flavor, add a bit of lemon juice. Don’t forget about the garlic either, as it works with almost all other ingredients. And lastly, don’t be afraid to add a bit of spice. You don’t need to add so much that it burns the palate; just a little will heighten all the other flavors.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I left chicken itself out of the discussion. Any cooked or raw chicken will do, but you’ll find that white meat is the best in soups. Dark meat, while tastier, has a much higher fat content and tends to make a soup feel greasy. White meat for soups and pastas, dark meat for everything else is the rule that I go by.

I hope you aren’t disappointed that there wasn’t a recipe that you could follow to the letter in this article. The truth is I don’t usually cook that way anymore. I found I made much better meals once I understood the basics of whatever meal I was making I could improvise and make improvements and substitutions based on my tastes, who I was cooking for, and what I had in stock.

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Making Rich And Hearty Soups With Chicken Stock

If you think the only thing you can make with chicken stock is homemade chicken noodle soup you will be pleasantly surprised to learn there are a near endless number of soups, stews, and dishes to make from this rather versatile ingredient.

Making homemade chicken stock can definitely be a time intensive process, but the end results are more than worth the effort. There are very few, if any, ways for adding as much rich flavor to soups and similar meals without using chicken stock. Chicken stock recipes are incredibly forgiving and there are countless ways to experiment with the flavor and type of ingredients used.

Chicken stock can be made using two different methods resulting in either white or brown stock, which is also sometimes called roasted. The majority of recipes you will encounter call for brown chicken stock although there are quite a few that use the white variety such as braises, chowders, sauces, and stews.

Brown chicken stock tends to offer a richer, heartier flavor than its white counterpart, which is often mixed with flour for creating a delicious veloute sauce.

Although you are free to use the ingredients you prefer, the most common ones used for making chicken stock include carrots, celery, and onions. These three vegetables together combine wonderfully along with the chicken, herbs, and seasonings for a hearty, flavorful blend.

Any type of chicken can be used to create chicken broth whether it is a fryer, roaster, or stewing hen as well as individual pieces such as backs, necks, or even wings.

After you have made your homemade chicken stock you can always freeze it in ice cube trays placed inside of freezer bags, which will keep it fresh for a few months.

Carrot and Parsnips Soup Recipe

What You Need

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 pound parsnips, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

How to Make It

In a large stock or soup pot, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add in the chopped onions and saute over low to medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes or until they are soft and translucent.

Increase the heat to high then add in the chopped parsnips and carrots along with the chicken stock and water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are all tender.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in small batches using high speed until all of the ingredients are smooth.

Add the pureed soup back to the pot and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and simmer over low heat.

While the pureed soup is simmering, combine the yogurt and the milk together with a whisk. Season the soup with salt and black pepper if desired.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and then drizzle the yogurt and milk mixture on top.

Sprinkle the chopped flat leaf parsley on top of the carrot and parsnips soup just before serving while still hot.

Serves 6.

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Some tend to be colder in winter than in other winters. On these cold winter nights, there is nothing that warms you from the inside out not like a soup.

It really is a difference between taste homemade soup and canned soups. For those who are in the course of the day over, but want homemade soup, is my answer to your crockpot to use. I often get everything ready the night before. I put everything in the crockpot, then put them in the fridge. In the morning, I plug in and when I get home at 5:00pm, it is ready to eat.

I happen to love corn soup. It is very easy to make and I enjoy it with a warm bread.

I start with canned corn I buy at the dollar store. You need two of the sixteen ounce cans. Drain the liquid and pour the corn crockpot right on. Add in two cups of chicken broth. I buy store brand as it is usually cheaper than brand's. If you water from boiling the chicken, season the chicken with salt water and then use two cupsthe strained chicken broth. Chop up two potatoes and one onion and add them as well. If you salt and pepper, add them to your taste. I will sometimes add in about half a teaspoon per person. Find this Cook on low zwischen seven and eight hours. Remove After seven or eight hours, the lid and add in two cups of milk and a quarter cup of butter. Stir, cover and cook an additional forty-five minutes on low. The milk will help you determine the thickness of theSoup. I use non-fat milk, makes my soup thinner. If you use half and half, the soup will be thicker.

If you like chicken in the soup, cut up cooked chicken and add the chicken during the last forty-five minutes of cooking.

Speaking of chicken, my daughter loves Chicken Noodle Soup. This is to make a very simple recipe. They throw everything into the crockpot covered in water and boil. There is not much easier than that

They will start with three minutes cut out four cupsto chicken. This can be white meat or dark. My family prefers the white meat. Many people I know prefer the taste of dark meat. I buy skinless boneless chicken breast is cut them up is a breeze. Add about three cups of vegetables. I often use baby carrots as we were often those in the house. Then I add in celery, as I like the taste of celery soup adds. I usually remove the celery before serving, since I do not like to eat celery, I just enjoy the taste. I cut in to addPotatoes and onions. As you cut the vegetables, it in a size that can be easily removed if you do not want the vegetables to serve in the soup.

Your last ingredient is four cups of liquid. Most recipes call for water as a liquid. I actually prefer using chicken broth. The liquid is filled all the other ingredients.

Cook on low for about eight hours. An hour before serving, boil your pasta. Let them not too soft, as you will be included in the crockpotfor one hour. Drain the pasta and add to the crockpot. Cook for about an hour more on low.

They are creating two very simple soup recipe in your crockpot. I hope you enjoy.