RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Ruth Heiges Chicken Soup #1 - meat
Everyone seems to make chicken soup differently, and all of it seems to turn out delicious. I think the only chicken soup I've ever had that I didn't like was one with which the cook made the mistake of using too much water, resulting in a soup lacking in intensity of flavor. I've found two keys to making chicken soup: (1) using 2-3 turkey wings, along with the chicken; (2) adding in the right vegetables. The following makes about four quarts of soup. Cut down as you see fit, but consider that it freezes beautifully. I usually put 1-qt containers of it in the freezer and/or individual portions in microwave-safe containers. Some people even freeze it in icecube trays. I use a small chicken (like a fryer) plus 2-3 turkey wings. I'm "hyper" about singeing off feathers and not only soak in saltwater but rinse and rinse until the water runs clear. I find this results in a clearer broth, and minimal skimming is required. For this amount of meat, I use: 1 small onion, whole (too much onion makes the soup "bitey") 5 carrots +/- (add a sweet dimension) 1 large or 2 small parsnips 3 stalks celery, with leaves* salt * Since learning that pesticides may reside in the leaves, I'm more inclined to trim them off. I sometimes add a parsley root, especially if I can't find parsnip. Clean the vegetables scrupulously. Put all in a pot and add water *just to cover*. Bring to a boil and skim. Simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes covered; then another 45 minutes uncovered. Adjust the salt. If I find the soup flavor getting too intense about 2/3 of the way through cooking, I remove the parsnip. You should have a nice, rich broth (not as clear as when using only chicken; the turkey makes it a bit cloudy). I then remove the chicken and vegetables and strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. If you don't have turkey wings, extra chicken wings add to the flavor, but the turkey wings are the best. A friend of mine bakes a kugel of fine egg noodles, egg (to bind), salt and pepper. She cuts it into squares which she serves in the soup (a lot less work than chasing all those noodles around the bowl).
