Can I just say, raising our own chickens is the most awesome thing! I cooked a big, fat hen, we had dressed out LAST YEAR. It was so delicious and perfect, you would never know it had been at freezer camp that long.
We love chicken noodle soup. Everyone knows Campbell’s is synonymous with the word soup. The truth is, it is really salty and full of lots of other weird stuff-non chicken related. I am not saying that a red and white can of the stuff has never graced my pantry, but once you make the jump to homemade, everything else is less than good enough.
Warning: The following is my way to make chicken soup. I am a rebel. This is not the way the cookbook says to make soup. I promise, if you trust the rebel in yourself, you will come out with an idea of how easy it is to make a humungous pot of pure, rich love. Trust the rebel cook. Do it.
When making chicken soup, the chicken really makes it herself. Plop one whole chicken into a great big pan. We will talk frugal chicken soup and roasted chicken soup in other posts. Anyhow, put that little lady into the pot and cover with water. Add an onion, two stalks of celery and two carrots. Add some salt and pepper, a nice shake of Italian seasoning and then cover.
Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken falls off of the bone-about two hours.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove everything and put it into a large bowl to cool. You want to be able to handle the chicken.
Strain the broth, if you would like to have clear soup in the end. Go ahead if you have the energy. It won’t change the flavor but it is special that way. Clearly I do not strain.
Once the chicken is cooled enough, remove the skin and discard, take all the meat off the bones and put it back into the broth.
Chop a visually pleasing assortment of carrots, celery, onion(meaning-chop up what you have and add to broth. Stir,and if there is enough in it go to the next veggie.)
Simmer the now loaded pan of soup(yea! You made soup) until the vegetables are cooked the way you like them.
Taste again to adjust seasonings. Do not be afraid to add salt. You will never come near the amount that is in a can of store soup. 🙂
Voila’ you have soup. The only thing that can raise this delicious nectar to greater heights, is to add noodles. They are super easy to do as well. Add them to the simmering soup and they cook for about 3 minutes if fresh.
