Can you help me make chicken soup?

[Chris in VA]

:blush:

 

So, walk me thru it--

 

I have a cooked chicken that has had some of the meat carved off of it but still has the legs and (most of) the thigh meat, as well as the back part.

 

I have carrots and onions. I have spices, and can use noodles or rice.

 

I don't have chicken broth. I can use a crock pot or the stove.

 

What would you do to make a good soup?

 

(I know, I've made it before, but never without chicken broth.)

[regentrude]

I'd pick all good bits of meat from the carcass and put it aside to put into the soup before serving. You can boil them with the carcass for stock, but then the meat won't be nice for the soup anymore.

 

I'd boil the clean picked carcass with water to make stock. You can add salt, laurel (bay) leaf, peppercorns. Strain when done, discard solids.

This is a time consuming process. If you need a quick soup, buy stock or use bouillon cubes and water.

Once stock is made:

sautee onion, carrot and celery

add stock

season to taste.

add noodles or rice if you want

simmer

add meat at end

Edited January 20, 2016 by regentrude

[6packofun]

I actually prefer turkey stock!  So I always make my chicken soup (yes, with chicken pieces) in that.  College Inn brand because that's what my store has, if I don't have my own (usually not).  It's more flavorful, IMO, and I add a bay leaf, some poultry seasoning, thyme, and black pepper as I boil the celery, onion, and carrots in it.  Sometimes a bit of salt at the end to taste.  We JUST had this tonight!  LOL  This time I cooked the noodles in a separate pot so that they wouldn't soak up the broth/stock.  I throw the chicken and noodles in for the last minute or two only to heat through and that's about it.

[Chris in VA]

Well, I don't want to go to the store...

 

So how long do I boil the carcass (and the skin, yes?) in how much water?

[regentrude]

So how long do I boil the carcass (and the skin, yes?) in how much water?

 

A couple of hours. I'm often impatient and only do an hour, but the longer the better.

Water needs to cover the carcass, so you might want to chop the carcass up so it fits into a shallower pot

[SparklyUnicorn]

I recommend you cook noodles separately and serve a portion with each bowl of soup.  What happens if you add it into the soup is that it sucks up all the liquid.  So the next day you'll have a pot of noodles and stuff (not really soup).  Which is ok.  It is still edible. 

 

 

[Annie G]

I cook the carcass with carrots, onions, and celery on the stove for a couple of hours. I prefer it to the crock pot method. You can add herbs if you like, but I don't because I like a pure stock so I can use it for anything (white chicken enchiladas, soup, chicken and rice, etc.)

When it's done, I turn it off and let it cool- not until cold, just an hour or so. Then I strain it through cheesecloth to get all the bits out. At this point I have stock- I get about 5 cups of good stock from a carcass, more if I start with a raw chicken. Good to me means that after it's chilled it's gelatinous.  My sister gets four times the stock but hers remains liquid so it's just more diluted. 

 

To make soup, I dice carrots, onion, celery and add to the stock, and add seasonings as needed. Salt and pepper, and thyme. I also usually add a couple cloves of garlic, diced. Cook that for a bit until veggies are tender, and add chicken bits and if you want you can add noodles or rice.  I keep noodles or rice in a  mason jar to add as needed- I like it added as the soup is reheated for serving. 

 

It's really all about the stock- if you have good stock, you can do just about anything and it'll be better than using canned broth. 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Annie G

[zoobie]

If you have a crock pot, you can let the stock go overnight!

[SparklyUnicorn]

If you have a crock pot, you can let the stock go overnight!

 

That's what I do.

[Liz CA]

If you decide to make stock with some of the carcass, let the bones sit well covered with water and add a little cider vinegar for about 30 min or 1 hour. This will draw minerals out, then turn on stove to quickly boil with carrots, celery and all kinds of herbs you want; reduce heat to a simmer. I let mine simmer pretty much all day (this is a job for the weekend or your day off). Strain all solids and let cool slightly before refrigerating.

[Chris in VA]

Ok, so I picked off the meat and am boiling the bones and skin, and I put in some Mrs. Dash garlic and herb. It smells realy good! I will probably let it simmer until about 10 pm. I'll follow the rest of your instructions tomorrow morning, so my parents can have hot soup for lunch after their drive.

 

Thanks, Hive ladies. You are really the best, and thanks that I could trust you not to shake your heads at my lack of culinary knowledge! (At least not where I can see!)

[Chris in VA]

Ok, so I strained it and tasted it, and it seems a bit greasy and bland.

So I added some salt and herbs, and it's better, but still the greasy mouth feel.

 

I'm refrigerating it overnight--should I skim off the fat in the morning? Some? All? None?

 

 

[Annie G]

All the fat will be a solid layer at the top- you can remove it all in the morning.  

[YaelAldrich]

Ok, so I strained it and tasted it, and it seems a bit greasy and bland.

So I added some salt and herbs, and it's better, but still the greasy mouth feel.

 

I'm refrigerating it overnight--should I skim off the fat in the morning? Some? All? None?

 

Tomorrow morning, there will be a layer of fat on the top.  You can skim it off and chuck it, but I would hang on to it if it isn't too much.  You may want to add some of it back in to enhance the flavor.

 

If you have time tomorrow, I would take the defatted broth, take out the bones and add many more vegetables to it.  Carrots, parsnips, turnip (just one!), celery, sweet potatoes, onions, parsley, parsley root.  Simmer that for several more hours and try it again.  Salt it generously and taste again.  You may like it without any extra fat, but a little (enough to see some small blobs on the surface) is yummy.

 

I rarely use a cooked chicken for straight chicken soup as I think it is too murky tasting.  I use the carcasses from roast chicken to make broth for chicken pot pie and other recipes that need broth.

 

For a good Jewish chicken soup, you need to use uncooked kosher chicken parts (really, it makes a difference!), all those veggies mentioned above, water, salt and lots of time (2-5 hours).  While it is cooking you can make matzo balls.  Hmmm.  This sounds really good - maybe dinner tomorrow night.... :)

Edited January 20, 2016 by YaelAldrich

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Do you have mushrooms? Adding them to my stock and/or soup really kicks the flavor up quite a bit. Even my kid who doesn't like chicken soup (weirdo!) agrees that it tastes better with mushrooms in it. Mushrooms are like magic or something!

[Slache]

Throw in some tomato soup and cilantro.

[regentrude]

Ok, so I strained it and tasted it, and it seems a bit greasy and bland.

So I added some salt and herbs, and it's better, but still the greasy mouth feel.

 

I'm refrigerating it overnight--should I skim off the fat in the morning? Some? All? None?

 

Skim the fat and use some of it to sautee onion, carrots and celery in it to start the soup.

Don't just throw the veggies in the broth to cook; you want a high temperature Maillard reaction to get some caramelization for flavor, and you can only achieve that by heating them in fat, since the boiling point of water is not high enough.

 

The stock itself should not have much of a taste, just a clean chicken taste - that way, it is versatile, and you can use it in different dishes. You add the seasonings to the soup.

 

If your stock is very concentrated and fatty, you add water to the soup.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Agreeing with the dancing bacon to cook noodles separately, then add as you serve the soup!  Sooooo good.  

 

Since you don't have stock, do you have any "poultry seasoning"?  Add a generous dose to the cooking carcass.  Leave at least some of the meat on the bones to get a richer stock flavor.  

 

Add your onion and veggie scraps to the stock as it cooks as well.  Anything to get a bit more flavor.  

 

Oh, I just saw that you've already made your stock!  I hope you have a bit of poultry seasoning to help the flavor a bit if necessary!  

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Also, maybe our local chickens are just on the lean side or something, but I never get enough fat to make a full layer over the top of the soup.  Just enough that there are "eyes" floating on the top.  So I don't skim.  

[Chris in VA]

Skim the fat and use some of it to sautee onion, carrots and celery in it to start the soup.

Don't just throw the veggies in the broth to cook; you want a high temperature Maillard reaction to get some caramelization for flavor, and you can only achieve that by heating them in fat, since the boiling point of water is not high enough.

 

The stock itself should not have much of a taste, just a clean chicken taste - that way, it is versatile, and you can use it in different dishes. You add the seasonings to the soup.

 

If your stock is very concentrated and fatty, you add water to the soup.

 

Oh, I see! THat makes sense. Yes, it does taste "chicken-y." :laugh:

Agreeing with the dancing bacon to cook noodles separately, then add as you serve the soup!  Sooooo good.  

 

Since you don't have stock, do you have any "poultry seasoning"?  Add a generous dose to the cooking carcass.  Leave at least some of the meat on the bones to get a richer stock flavor.  

 

Add your onion and veggie scraps to the stock as it cooks as well.  Anything to get a bit more flavor.  

 

Oh, I just saw that you've already made your stock!  I hope you have a bit of poultry seasoning to help the flavor a bit if necessary!  

I don't have poultry seasoning, but I'll google to see what's in it.

 

 

Thanks everyone! This is fun! I feel so...chef-like! :lol:

 

Ok, not really, But It IS fun.

[zoobie]

Ok, so I strained it and tasted it, and it seems a bit greasy and bland.

So I added some salt and herbs, and it's better, but still the greasy mouth feel.

 

I'm refrigerating it overnight--should I skim off the fat in the morning? Some? All? None?

 

You can remove the fat if you prefer. The stock itself may be gelatin-y, which means you did well! So only remove the yellow fat, not the congealed broth. :)

[PrairieSong]

Fresh parsley and fresh garlic add a lot! I sautée them with the onions, celery, and carrots, then add the broth, freshly ground black pepper, salt to taste, then the noodles (or dumplings) and chicken. The noodles do absorb a lot. I just make sure I have plenty of liquid.

[ScoutTN]

If you want a richer soup, add cream or half and half near the end.

Seconding the mushrooms and cooking the veggies in the chx fat.

If you don't want rice or pasta, you can use white beans or potatoes or corn for a starch.

 

You can also take it Mexican by adding some tomatoes, corn, black beans, cumin, oregano and chili powder or taco seasoning. V8 with stock, 1:1, makes a fabulous soup base.

Edited January 20, 2016 by ScoutTN

[KrissiK]

I have recently discovered how to make really good chicken noodle soup, but it is rather involved. But I'll share it anyway. It's a two meal process.

Meal 1 - dredge and brown chicken legs/ quarters, layer in Dutch oven with onion slices, 2 C water and Paula Deen's house seasoning. Cook on low (285 degrees) all afternoon. Meat will be delicious and falling off the bones. I make this with mashed potatoes and tons of gravy and carrots. The gravy made from the drippings is to die for. I make sure I make a ton so there are lots of leftovers. I then bone the meat and put all the leftovers (meat, potatoes, gravy, carrots) in one container.

 

Meal 2 -chicken noodle soup. In a soup kettle I sauté more carrots, and some onion, and celery seed. Then, I take the container of leftovers, dump it all into the soup kettle. Add several cans of chicken broth to it all and stir. The potatoes thicken the soup nicely, the gravy gives it wonderful flavor. I'll add some corn, too, and shortly before serving I'll add the noodles. We're having that for dinner tonight.

[KungFuPanda]

If you have a pressure cooker you can do it quickly. If not, I'd just use the crockpot and start the day ahead.

 

Take all the meat off the bones

Put bones, onion, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper in crockpot.

Cook overnight until carrots taste bland and have lost most of their flavor.

Strain broth

Remove fat (this is easiest if you chill it. Also, if you can chill it, and it gels, you know you won the stock game)

Taste and season your broth so it tastes good all by itself

 

Broth is done

 

 

Cut up all new onions, celery, carrots and sauté in a pot

Add your stock and simmer 10-15 minutes

Add cooked chicken and any pasta you want

Season and serve

 

Great. Now I want chicken soup.

[ondreeuh]

I save my carrot, onion, and celery scraps in a bag in the freezer. Then after I cook a small chicken (I use the Instant Pot pressure cooker), I make stock with the bones and veggies. The pressure cooker makes it so darn easy, and mine always gels as it cools. I strain it and transfer it to quart containers (I use these) and let it cool overnight. In the morning I skim off the fat and then freeze the stock. If I'm on my A-game, I cook the chicken and then immediately make stock and use the chicken for the soup./stew.

 

To make soup (or a million other things) I start with a mirepoix - chop  up carrot, celery and onion (and save the scraps!) and saute until soft. Add minced garlic & herbs and saute a bit longer. Add in your chicken and stock, and simmer another 20 minutes or so to meld the flavors. Add noodles at the end.

 

To make mulligatawny soup, I stir in some curry powder with the mirepoix and some rice and chopped apple when I add the chicken. Then I add some half & half or cream at the end when it's taken off the heat. We like it better than chicken noodle soup.

Edited January 20, 2016 by ondreeuh

[Chris in VA]

Eh,I think it was just ok. Didn't get the gel stuff in the stock, and it is more bland than I thought. Good news is that my mom can eat it, and she is sick, so at least it didn't go to waste. Plenty of ideas to do again! Thx.

[KungFuPanda]

Eh,I think it was just ok. Didn't get the gel stuff in the stock, and it is more bland than I thought. Good news is that my mom can eat it, and she is sick, so at least it didn't go to waste. Plenty of ideas to do again! Thx.

It sounds like you only cooked it for about two hours. Decent stock takes time. I'm too impatient to have it on the stove all day, so I let it simmer in the crockpot for 10-12 hours. I've tried tasting it when I get up, but 7-8 hours just isn't quite enough. If you'd simmered it on the stove for four hours you would've likely been much happier with the results. It gels when it's been cooked long enough, but you don't know until you refrigerate it if that's going to happen.

[Annie G]

Try again with a raw chicken. I have to work really hard to get good stock out of a rotisserie carcass.  I get much better stock from raw. 

[momee]

I agree with Annie G.  I don't usually use the chicken carcass anymore.  Used to when I felt that's what prudent frugal mom's do and just dumped it in covered with water and did most of the above.  Still never came out like the rich chicken soup I desired.

 

But the America's Test Kitchen group has a hearty chicken noodle soup I like.  They do use a whole chicken.

 

This is the keeper for me and I've tried about 10 years worth of recipes.  Maybe it is just suited to my family's taste but everyone - I have old and young here - loves it.   A bit time consuming and sometimes I get carried away with the chicken base (Better Than Buillion I buy in bulk at Costco)  - but when I follow directions it really is - comforting and yum!

Hope this helps.

I have a good/quick chicken pot pie recipe as well if you're interested.  That was another monster to tame as an inexperienced cook.

 

And the pioneer woman chicken tortilla soup has been requested numerous times around here as well if the same old chicken noodle becomes boring :)

 

Edited January 21, 2016 by momee