The World’s Best Chicken Soup…according to me


The stuff of LEGEND…

A lot of people are aware that currently, I am not working. In order to save time and stretch those food dollars as far as they can possibly go, I make a lot of home made soups and casseroles and simple meals involving chicken and lesser used meats, like turkey. This is my (nearly) World Famous Chicken Soup that I make about twice a month. It freezes really REALLY well, so the stretchability (?!) is pretty far, usually 3-4 meals depending on appetite ( of husband) and size of the narrow-face ( chicken) involved in the recipe.

I usually get my cooked chicken at BJ’s. A lot of people start with just a regular fryer, but I find that the rotisserie cooking imparts a delicious spice to the base of the soup. Bj’s always has these wonderful chickens cooking, all day. They are huge, juicy and at $3.99, a real bargain. For the two of us, Dear Hubby and I, it is a smorgasbord if numminess because there is enough to make a wonderful pot of soup AND some chicken salad for the hubby to take to work. He loves the stuff.

The first thing I do when I get it home, is remove the skin from the chicken and throw that in a pot with 2 cups water, some salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano and 3 bay leaves. Then, with near-surgical precision, I take all the meat off the chicken and I divide it into 2/3 in one bowl, 1/3 in another bowl, wrap them up and put in the fridge until later.

Take the leftover bones, gizzards ( if present) wing tips, et al, and throw them in the pot with the skin, salt and pepper. Add one cup diced Vidalia onion, 1/2 cup diced celery and 1/2 cup diced carrot and toss in the pot. Turn the gas on medium and cover, and simmer about 4 hours, occasionally stirring and letting the stock reduce.



Now is the really fun part, the gettin’ down to buziness part!

Strain the chicken bones and crap out of the boiled chicken and return the veggies to the pot. Add 1 cup water and salt and pepper ( to taste) and add the following:

The picked through 2/3 chicken, either shredded or diced

5 Carrots- washed, peeled and cut up- throw in pot

1 large Leek- washed, and patted dry. Cut off leafy part and tip- discard, chop up- throw in pot

3 Parsnips- washed, peeled, and diced- throw in pot

3 Bay Leaves- throw in pot

1 large Vidalia Onion- washed and diced- throw in pot

1 large Red Pepper- washed and diced- throw in pot

1 medium size container of fresh Mushrooms- washed and dirt removed- throw in pot

2 large baking Potatoes- washed, peeled and diced- throw in pot

Dashes of Italian Seasoning, Oregano, some Rosemary

** Roiling boil until taters are completely cooked**

Salt and Pepper to taste