Super Simple Modern Style Homemade Chicken Soup

One of my favorites things on a rainy day is a nice big steaming comforting bowl of homemade chicken soup. The aroma of chicken soup simmering takes me back to childhood.  Mom made the best soups! There is always so much more flavor in soups you make at home!  

Soup is an easy food to prepare. This super simple modern style chicken soup doesn't start out with a whole chicken.  Yes, I can break a whole chicken down to make it, but it's not my favorite thing to do.  I love using chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on because there is a lot more flavor in those parts. Thigh meat doesn't dry out as easily as white meat.  

Chicken soup should have some of the chicken fat in it since fat is flavor.  Small amounts of healthy fat will keep the hunger pangs away longer and brains do need some fat to work well also. The best and easiest way to remove the excess fat is to chill the soup overnight. Fat congeals to a layer on top of the broth and which can easily be lifted off.  When the soup is done it's easy to pull the chicken pieces out to remove the skin and bones and cut into spoon-size pieces. This too can be done the next day or before serving. Controlling the sodium and flavor profile is better in scratch-made food. Once you prepare homemade soup your palate will tell you there is no going backed to canned soups. 

Easy Modern Style Homemade Chicken Soup

Easy Modern Style Homemade Chicken Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 large white onion

4 large carrots

3 large celery stalks

1 bunch of fresh parsley  

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dry tarragon 

1 teaspoon dry dill 

1/2 teaspoon dry thyme 

1 teaspoon Kosher salt (to start)

1/2 teaspoon finely ground white (or black) pepper

2 quarts of water or chicken stock

2 teaspoon flavorless cooking oil

2 pounds average sized chickens thighs (preferably with bone and skin on)*

1/2 cup uncooked Israeli couscous

6-quart size Dutch oven or stock pot

Fresh carrots with tops

Preparation

Clean and peel carrots, chop into smaller dice.  Imagine the pieces on your spoon eating to judge size you prefer.  Scrub and chop dice celery. Set carrots and celery aside.   Peel and dice the onion into a medium to small dice.   Chop the parsley fine including the stems.  If you don't like chopping the stems, then take the stems into a bunch and tie with cotton kitchen twine for easy removal.  The parsley stems add a lot of heartiness to add to the finished soup.

White Onions

Into the stock pot or Dutch oven add the flavorless oil and on medium heat sweat the onion, carrots, and celery for a minute or two.  Next add the dried tarragon, dill, stir to bring those herbs back to life. Add the 2 bay leaves (I happen to use dried bay) and the water.

I prefer to use the chicken thighs with the skin and bone in. *If you use boneless and skinless thigh, then you can cut those into bite-sized pieces before adding to the soup base. Add the chicken to the pot and over a very low flame heat to a simmer for 60 minutes minimum.  

Check for flavor.  This is where you can adjust the salt and pepper.  If you've used the bone in chicken thighs, remove them from the pot and cut or shred the meat to small pieces.   

 If you want a heartier broth, let is simmer lid off a bit at this point to reduce the volume.

Sweating the carrots, celery, onions and herbs

Finishing

I can be lazy or in a hurry cook some days so I often just add the uncooked Israeli couscous to the stock pot and cook for about 10 minutes.  I find that adding the couscous works fine because the larger Israeli type stays round and firm and doesn't cloud the broth.   Any other soup noodle or rice should be cooked separately and just added to the bowl before ladling in the soup.

Is the Super Woman Complex Dead yet?

All of us lead busier lives than our parents ever did! So how does this affect our home life? Hectic! It is still possible to plan and cook healthy from scratch meals quickly but it just takes a little more thought, organization and planning ahead.  Maybe I had the super woman complex for too many years, and quite honestly that is an understatement!  Just a tiny bit about me:  I have run multiple corporations -- at the same time, while working on a variety of charity projects and also sat on board of directors (mostly children's issues). I am the proud Mom of four marvelous children - two human and two furry.

One of my favorite kitchen tools over the years had been a stand alone freezer which I no longer have. The freezing ideas I'm sharing will still work. So many things can be made ahead and even frozen for quick weeknight meals.  I love love love entertaining friends and family!  Drop ins are very happily welcomed! Great food, family, friends sharing time together...does it get any better than that?

Packaging food correctly for freezing and rotating inventory is the key and will keep you way ahead for quick meal prep.  Healthy foods such as a delicious marinara, bolognese, soups, stocks, cookie dough, pastry for pie shells and bread freeze especially well.  I don't know about you, but anything I have trouble pronouncing or spelling I really don't want my family to eat! Another benefit of planning and freezing - unexpected company? No problem!  You'll have great food you can share quickly!

Keep your pantry, fridge and freezer organized!   Make a list of what you will need  or are running low on. Note: keep the reminder list somewhere where you can find it! Yes I have lost those lists too! When you have some time, reorganize your pantry shelves and keep like items in the same location.

What do you like to eat? Any food allergies or health problems?  That is the starting point to keep in mind when stocking up!  I have gone organic fully in this past year....but more about that another day!

Some of my favorite pantry staples are dried pasta, dried beans and lentils, low sodium canned beans, and quality boxed chicken, vegetable or beef stock. I prefer the low salt organic ones for best flavor. Boxed stock will save on available freezer space and is a great time saver!  Once you open the box it will keep a couple of days in the fridge.  Don't need the rest right away?  Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen, store in a labeled zip bag.  These stock cubes give a quick flavor boost to sauces that only need small amounts. I love home made stock but I'd rather use the space for a finished soup now that I have a just the freezer space in my fridge. With just little changes in how you approach your cooking and your kitchen will create big benefits in health and save you money. Is there anyone that doesn't like to save?  You pay for the convenience of pre shredded cheeses (compare the price per ounce)  and prepared dishes. Buy the block of cheese and shred it yourself.  When you buy pre-shredded cheese it's coated in a starch so it doesn't stick together in the package.  Tip: A quick pop in the freezer for 10 minutes makes cheese easier to shred.

You don't have to be a slave to take out and processed food, you can do this!

Freezing basics:

1-  Label the containers and packages!!  Just using small white mailing labels works well and are reasonably priced.

2-  Soups or sauces - Use quart and pint containers keep 1/2" space at the top for expansion as liquids freeze.

3-  Baked Breads, cakes, muffins - it's best to freeze the same day you bake.  I use heavy plastic storage bags I purchase in bulk from King Arthur Flour*.   Removing excess air from the bag will help discourage freezer burn. Tip: Close the bag snuggly with a drinking straw inserted, then suck the air out the bag and seal tightly. I know that sounds odd but it works!  If you feel the need for a vacuum sealing system those are very nice too.

4- Unbaked bread dough, pizza dough, pastry dough - portion the dough to size you will need, wrap tightly eliminate the air before sealing the packaging. To use the frozen dough I usually defrost overnight in the refrigerator. The day you plan on using the dough let the pizza and bread dough come to room temperature and rise if needed per your recipe.  Pie dough can wait in the fridge until you need to use it.

5- Cookie dough - mix the dough, form long rolls, wrap tightly and freeze. If you only want to make just a few cookies at a time cut the rolls prior to freezing to make just as many cookie slices as you want.  Just pull out what you need, slice and bake per recipe when you want some fresh homemade cookies.  Great for drop in company or play dates.

6-  Chops, steaks, chicken - I love buying larger family sized meat packages especially on sale and breaking them down before freezing.   Wrap individually chops, steaks, chicken breasts, legs in small bags. Zipper sandwich bags are great for small wrapping but be sure to use heavy duty freezer bags to consolidate the individually wrapped pieces. Smaller packages also defrost quicker and you can pull out just the amount you need.  Tip: Defrost the meat on a plate, tray or bowl in the fridge to keep and defrosting juices from soiling the refrigerator. That has saved me from many clean ups!  Great idea to use with fresh meat too....remember low shelve in a bowl or tray with a lip to contain any dripping juices.

You may not have thought of freezing...

Chopped, washed and dried fresh parsley, or peeled sliced fresh ginger root.
Squeeze fresh lemons or limes, freeze the juice in old fashioned ice cube trays.

Single Loaf Bags*

Herb butters....just slice and use for fish, steaks or anything else you like herb butter on.

Keep coming back to Angel's Food Paradise for plenty of recipes and tips to help simplify your meal prep, entertaining and life, better yet sign up for the newsletter and have it delivered right to you inbox. Any questions....just email me!

Go forth and play with your food!

Ciao for now!!

JPKC


 King Arthur Flour*

Double Loaf Bags*

(I love King Arthur Flour and this is not a paid endorsement)