Make Chicken Soup With a Whole Chicken
Cooking delicious chicken soup starts with fresh chicken. Many people use only the backs, wings and thighs of the chicken, but to get the most out of your soup, try using a whole chicken. While it may take several hours to cook, this dish isn't difficult or expensive to make.
Whether the weather is hot or cold, homemade chicken soup makes for a healthy and tasty meal for your family.
Instructions
1. Rinse the chicken with cold water and put in a large pot. Fill the pot with 10 to 12 cups of water, depending on how big the pot is. Peel and cut up an onion, carrot and celery stalk, and add to the chicken in the pot. Mince the celery's leafy green part and toss it into the pot, too.
2. Put the pot on the stove on high heat. When the water begins to boil, reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken and vegetables for two hours. Skim any impurities from the surface as the chicken cooks and discard.
3. Take the chicken out and put it in a large bowl to cool. Next, take the vegetables out and discard. Strain the chicken broth into another large pot or glass bowl to get rid of any impurities you might have missed.
4. Peel and cut the rest of the vegetables into small chunks and add to the pot of broth. Turnips, cabbage and potatoes also go well in chicken soup. Put the pot on the stove and cook at medium-high heat, reducing the heat to medium before it comes to a rolling boil.
5. Pull the chicken skin and meat from the bones and tear or cut into small chunks. Add the chunks of chicken to a bowl with a lid and put it in the refrigerator.
6. Cook the vegetables for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the chicken pieces and salt and black pepper to taste to the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking. You can also add egg noodles or rice to the broth if you want a slightly thicker chicken soup.
7. Remove the pot of chicken soup from the stove and spoon into bowls.
Tags: chicken soup, chicken soup, With, heat medium, into small