There is nothing like a good bowl of chicken soup. It makes you feel better when you are sick. It warms you up on a winter day. It is kid friendly. How can you find anything better? Instead of just opening a can and adding some water, why not try making your own homemade chicken soup? It is not hard at all, and it tastes so good.
Basics for Cooking Chicken Soup
First, you need some chicken bones. These can be leftover from the roast chicken you had last night. Didn't know you could get two meals out of that single chicken, did you? Put the entire carcass in a stockpot and cover it with several quarts of water. Add some seasonings and a carrot, an onion, some celery and herbs. Bring the water slowly to a boil, and then turn it on low to keep it simmering. Skim off the foam that will appear on the top. This is caused by the protein in the chicken. Do not worry... the good stuff stays in the soup!
Simmer this slowly for several hours... all day if you have the time. Add more water if you need to, although covering it will help reduce the evaporation rate. On the other hand, reducing the stock will intensify the flavors. It all depends on how much soup you need to make to feed your family. Strain the stock. The bones and vegetables can be tossed at this point; they have given all they can.
Add in new vegetables, and the meat you have leftover. If you want to add potatoes, add them with the other vegetables. You may want to add any of the following: turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, or anything else you like.
Towards the end, you may want to add some rice or noodles (rice will take longer to cook than noodles), and any vegetables that cook quickly. This may include cabbage, broccoli, or anything else you have left in the garden.
What Else Can You Do with Chicken Soup?
The above description makes a classic chicken soup with a clear yellow stock. However, you may be wondering what else you can do with chicken soup. Creamed chicken soups are hearty, creamy, and delicious. You can serve them plain or you can add a little vegetables or noodles to it.
You can thicken a classic chicken soup by adding a roux and make it heartier. You can also turn a chicken soup into chicken and dumplings just by adding the dumplings in for the last twenty minutes of cooking. There is nothing better on a cold winter's night.
Change the flavor of your chicken soup by adding some ethnic ingredients. Soy sauce, some Asian vegetables, herbs, and some glass noodles make the usual chicken soup seem exotic. Add some spice and tortilla pieces to create a trendy tortilla soup.
You can also simplify. Reduce your chicken stock until you have a tasty golden consommé. This consommé can be eaten by itself, used to make gravies and sauces, or frozen for later use.
Basics for Cooking Chicken Soup
First, you need some chicken bones. These can be leftover from the roast chicken you had last night. Didn't know you could get two meals out of that single chicken, did you? Put the entire carcass in a stockpot and cover it with several quarts of water. Add some seasonings and a carrot, an onion, some celery and herbs. Bring the water slowly to a boil, and then turn it on low to keep it simmering. Skim off the foam that will appear on the top. This is caused by the protein in the chicken. Do not worry... the good stuff stays in the soup!
Simmer this slowly for several hours... all day if you have the time. Add more water if you need to, although covering it will help reduce the evaporation rate. On the other hand, reducing the stock will intensify the flavors. It all depends on how much soup you need to make to feed your family. Strain the stock. The bones and vegetables can be tossed at this point; they have given all they can.
Add in new vegetables, and the meat you have leftover. If you want to add potatoes, add them with the other vegetables. You may want to add any of the following: turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, or anything else you like.
Towards the end, you may want to add some rice or noodles (rice will take longer to cook than noodles), and any vegetables that cook quickly. This may include cabbage, broccoli, or anything else you have left in the garden.
What Else Can You Do with Chicken Soup?
The above description makes a classic chicken soup with a clear yellow stock. However, you may be wondering what else you can do with chicken soup. Creamed chicken soups are hearty, creamy, and delicious. You can serve them plain or you can add a little vegetables or noodles to it.
You can thicken a classic chicken soup by adding a roux and make it heartier. You can also turn a chicken soup into chicken and dumplings just by adding the dumplings in for the last twenty minutes of cooking. There is nothing better on a cold winter's night.
Change the flavor of your chicken soup by adding some ethnic ingredients. Soy sauce, some Asian vegetables, herbs, and some glass noodles make the usual chicken soup seem exotic. Add some spice and tortilla pieces to create a trendy tortilla soup.
You can also simplify. Reduce your chicken stock until you have a tasty golden consommé. This consommé can be eaten by itself, used to make gravies and sauces, or frozen for later use.
