Grandma’s chicken soup

1 5- to 6-pound stewing hen or baking chicken

1 package chicken wings

3 large onions

1 large sweet potato

3 parsnips

2 turnips

11 to 12 large carrots

5 to 6 celery stems

1 bunch of parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to boil. Add the chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips and carrots. Boil about 1 and a half hours. Remove fat from the surface as it accumulates. Add the parsley and celery.

Cook the mixture about 45 min. longer. Remove the chicken. The chicken is not used further for the soup. Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine or pass through a strainer. Both were performed in the present study. Salt and pepper to taste. (Note: This soup freezes well.)

Source: Stephen Rennard

Chicken soup with rice

1 (2-pound) rotisserie chicken

3 celery ribs

1 medium onion, quartered and left unpeeled

6 fresh parsley sprigs plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 fresh thyme sprigs

1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

10 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (80 fluid ounces)

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/2 cup long-grain rice, rinsed

Remove meat from chicken, reserving skin and bones. Coarsely chop 1 celery rib and put in a 6- to 8-quart pot along with chicken bones and skin, onion, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Simmer, partially covered, 1 hour.

While broth is simmering, shred about half of chicken meat into 1-inch-long pieces (about 1/4 inch thick) to yield 1 1/2 cups meat, reserving remaining meat for another use. Cut remaining 2 celery ribs into 1/4-inch dice.

Pour chicken broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on solids with back of a ladle and then discarding them. Skim fat from surface of broth.

Return strained broth to pot, then add carrots, diced celery, and rice and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and rice is very soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and chopped parsley.

Makes 6 to 8 servings (2 quarts)

Source: www.epicurious.com/“Gourmet” magazine

Chicken soup with Asparagus, peas & Dill

14 cups chicken stock

8 fresh dill stems (stripped of leaves) plus 3 tablespoons chopped dill leaves

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced diagonally, leaving tips intact

3 cups frozen baby green peas (1 pound; not thawed)

Simmer stock with dill stems in a 4- to 5-quart saucepan, uncovered, until reduced to about 8 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard dill stems. Add asparagus and peas, then bring to a boil, partially covered. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in dill leaves and season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 13 cups

Source: www.epicurious.com/“Gourmet” magazine

Chicken soup verde

3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

8 thin asparagus spears, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup shelled fresh peas or frozen petite peas

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth and wine to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, asparagus and peas. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is almost cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add green onions and marjoram. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and flavors blend, about 2 minutes longer. Mix 1/4 cup Parmesan into soup; season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve, passing remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Makes 2 servings; can be doubled.

Source: www.epicurious.com/“Bon Appetit” magazine

Thai chicken soup

1 (4 pound/2 kilogram) free range or organic chicken

7 ounces (200 grams) tamarind, broken up

1 piece ginger, sliced

2 red chiles, seeds removed, 1 chopped and 1 finely sliced

1 red onion, skin on, sliced

2 sticks lemongrass, bashed, bruised and roughly chopped

1 bulb garlic, cut in 1/2

1 large bunch fresh coriander

1 (400 ml) can coconut milk

8 ounces (225 grams) rice noodles

Thai fish sauce

Soy sauce

Drizzle olive oil

Place the chicken in a large heavy-based saucepan, and add the tamarind, ginger, chopped chiles, onion, lemongrass and garlic. Finely slice the coriander stalks and add to the pan, keeping the leaves until later.

Cover with water to the top and weight the chicken down with a heavy lid or a smaller pan that fits inside the cooking pan. Bring to the boil and slowly simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken and pull off the meat using a fork.

Mash up the sauce and add the coconut milk and a lug of fish sauce. Put the rice noodles in a bowl, pour over boiling water and leave to stand for 3 minutes. Mix the coriander leaves with the finely sliced chile.

Drain the noodles, place some in the bottom of each serving bowl, and dress with soy sauce to season. Pile the chicken on top, then pour over the strained sauce. Pile the chile and coriander mix on top and drizzle with olive oil.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Hearty chicken stew

4 small onions, quartered

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

2 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed

Handful thyme sprigs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds red bliss potatoes, washed and quartered

2 handfuls green beans, trimmed

Hot pepper sauce, to taste

In a large pot, combine onions, garlic, carrots, chicken and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Add cold water to cover. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Skim and discard any scum that may come to the top.

Simmer until the meat of the chicken falls off the bone with almost no pressure from a fork, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Use 2 forks to separate the meat from the bone. Add the meat back to pot.

Add the potatoes, cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Add green beans, cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Mexican tortilla chicken soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium white onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

3 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped

1 quart chicken stock (recipe follows)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Canola oil, for pan-frying

8 corn tortillas, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced

1 cup shredded Jack cheese, optional

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

1 lime, cut in wedges, for serving

Place a stockpot over medium heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, jalapenos, and tomatoes; cook, stirring for 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked down and pulpy. Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1-inch of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high flame. When the oil begins to smoke, add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until they are crisp on all sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined platter and sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.

Ladle the hot soup into 4 soup bowls and put a pile of shredded chicken on top of each. Top with the diced avocado and fried tortilla strips (and cheese if using). Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Chicken Stock:

1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded

2 carrots, cut in large chunks

3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks

2 large white onions, quartered

1 head of garlic, halved

1 turnip, halved

1/4 bunch fresh thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.

Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.

Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.

Yield: 2 quarts

Source: www.foodnetwork.com