With the flu and colds going around, might be time for a chicken soup thread. Here's mine.

[desertjean]

Basic Chicken Soup

3 pounds chicken pieces (I like thighs for this)

4 carrots, in cut in large pieces

2 stalks celery, with leaves, in large pieces

1 large onion, quartered

1 large red pepper, quartered

1 head of garlic, smashed

handful of fresh parsley, left whole

juice from 1 lemon

water to cover

1 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Roast chicken pieces until brown, about 35 to 45 minutes depending on size of pieces. Place in a large pot with remaining ingredients carrots, celery and onion in a large soup pot and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer partially covered until the chicken meat falls off of the bones, skimming gross stuff off the top as needed.

Remove everything from the pot to a strainer over another pot or large bowl. Strain the broth. Reserve the meat from the bones but discard everything else. Pour the strained broth back into your pot and add whatever chopped fresh veggies you desire in your soup. Simmer until they are tender, add back reserved chicken and seasonings to taste.

 

[charlie]

REC: Chicken Soup...

Chicken Soup

Recipe By :Arthur Schwartz


2 3-pound Kosher Chickens -- cut into quarters (or other superior chickens)
2 pounds chicken necks -- baks, wings-any combination (approximately 2 pounds)
4 Large carrots -- scraped
2 Medium parsnips -- scraped
2 medium Leeks -- with some green, split and washed well (medium to large)
1 Celery Heart -- (the cantral pale-colored section of a bunch of celery), with leaves
1 large bunch parsley
1 large bunch dill
24 white peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt

In a 12-quart soup pot, combine the chickens, chicken parts, carrots, parsnips and leeks. Cover with cold tap water, leaving just enough room to put the remaining ingredients.

Bring to a simmer over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the top with a large metal kitchen spoon. When the water begins to simmer, lower the heat so that the water simmers gently. Continue to skim off the foam until no more rises to the top.

Tie the celery heart, parsley, and dill together with a piece of string and add to the pot. Add the peppercorns and salt. Cover the pot, leaving the cover slightly ajar. Simmer gently, adjusting the heat as necessary so the soup never boils, but just perks along slowly, for at least 2 hours.

Taste the soup, and let simmer a little longer if you think it isn’t quite strong enough. Allow to cool until warm. Remove all the solids, and if the soup still isn’t as rich as you would like, simmer it further to reduce the quantity.

Add salt as necessary, only after the soup has finished cooking.

 

[charlie]

CI's REC: Hearty Chicken Soup with Orzo & Spring Vegetables...

Hearty Chicken Soup with Orzo and Spring Vegetables

Serving Size : 6

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 4-pound whole chicken -- breast removed and split, remaining chicken cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion -- cut into medium dice
2 quarts water -- boiling
table salt
2 bay leaves
1 large carrot -- peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium celery rib -- sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium leek -- rinsed thoroughly, quartered lengthwise, then slice thin crosswise
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup orzo
1/4 pound asparagus -- ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/4 cup green peas -- (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon -- minced
ground black pepper


1. Heat oil in large soup kettle. When oil shimmers and starts to smoke, add chicken breast halves; sauté until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add half of chopped onions to kettle; sauté until colored and softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside. Add half of chicken pieces; sauté until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onions. Sauté remaining chicken pieces. Return onions and chicken pieces (excluding breasts) to kettle. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high; add boiling water along with both breast halves, 2 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves. Return to simmer, then cover and barely simmer until chicken breasts are cooked and broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes.

2. Remove chicken breasts from kettle; set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove skin from breasts, then remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bone. Strain broth; discard bones. Skim fat from broth, reserving 2 tablespoons. (Broth and meat can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

 

[lisainla]

REC: Chicken Soup with Rice

Chicken Soup with Rice

This soup is made with store-bought broth and rotisserie chicken, which shortens the preparation time considerably. (If you usually make your soup from scratch, you may be surprised at how appealing this shortcut can be when you're rushed.)

Makes 6 to 8 servings (2 quarts).

Menus

Inspired by "Chicken Soup with Rice," Carole King, 1975
ingredients
1 (2-lb) rotisserie chicken
3 celery ribs
1 medium onion, quartered and left unpeeled
6 fresh parsley sprigs plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
10 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (80 fl oz)
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup long-grain rice, rinsed
preparation
Remove meat from chicken, reserving skin and bones. Coarsely chop 1 celery rib and put in a 6- to 8-quart pot along with chicken bones and skin, onion, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Simmer, partially covered, 1 hour.

While broth is simmering, shred about half of chicken meat into 1-inch-long pieces (about 1/4 inch thick) to yield 1 1/2 cups meat, reserving remaining meat for another use. Cut remaining 2 celery ribs into 1/4-inch dice.

Pour chicken broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on solids with back of a ladle and then discarding them. Skim fat from surface of broth.

Return strained broth to pot, then add carrots, diced celery, and rice and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and rice is very soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and chopped parsley.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-Soup-with-Rice-232605

 

[sandi-in-hawaii]

Thanks for posting this, Lisa! I was jsut wondering how to make chicken soup with the Costco chix..

Girlfriend said she uses that to make a chicken soup. I was going to look for a recipe to do it - your post is very timely.

It looks so good. Thanks for posting!