Recipes
For my readers, whenever you might need a pick-me-up of liquid gold, here’s my favorite recipe for chicken soup.
Chicken Soup
INGREDIENTS
Chicken leg quarters:
Use 1 leg quarter for 3-4 servings
Use 2 leg quarters for small pot
Use 4+ leg quarters for large pot (depending on # of servings needed)
2 pkg. chicken bones
2 medium or large onions, cleaned and cut in half
6-8 carrots, peeled
2 medium or large garlic cloves, peeled
2-4 parsnips, peeled
4-6 stalks, plus all leafy tops celery
Fresh parsley, chopped
Black pepper, cracked
Dill
Salt
DIRECTIONS
Fill stockpot to just over half full (regardless of pot size).
While water is cold: add chicken bones. Rinse leg quarters, add to pot whole.
Bring water and chicken to a boil, then cover and turn heat down to a simmer.
Cook 1 hour, skimming off fat and scum regularly.
Clean all vegetables. Cut carrots and celery in half to fit in pot, cut parsnips in half down the middle.
Once pot is completely skimmed, add all vegetables. (Can leave a little fat for flavoring.)
Add medium to large handful of parsley, and pepper, dill, and salt (to taste). Stir. Add more spices until you can see them after stirring.
Cover. Simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally.
When soup is finished, strain through large colander into BIG bowl.
If serving right away, put soup back in pot to heat. Cut up cooked carrot, parsnip, and chicken and add to pot.
If not serving right away, set aside to cool. Store broth, vegetables, and chicken in three separate bowls. (Throw away bones and skin, but keep the chicken.)
Notes and Variations:
Vegetable amounts depend on size of pot.
Kosher chicken will be saltier, so reduce amount of salt added.
If chicken bones are not available, consider increasing bone-in chicken amount or add a half dozen wings.
Kosher chicken will likely have feathers; allow additional time for cleaning.
Soup can be frozen. Freeze broth separately from vegetables and chicken.
Chicken makes for great chicken salad!