Grandma's chicken soup

GRANDMA'S CHICKEN SOUP

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A few of you have asked for this recipe and I am delighted to share it.  I tend to dole this soup out at the drop of a hat - and always at the birth of a grandchild or in today's case - to my son's family as their daughter Izzy is sick.    

Chicken soup is wholesome, nutritious and delicious, and we all believe that it has   amazing curative qualities!  It certainly is warming and comforting and just seems to hit the spot when one is unwell.  My children and grandchildren love this soup and it is so easy to make and freezes like a dream.

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I always use the very best chicken one can buy - Free Range/Organic/ with bells on! In fact I buy the best brand possible, as I find that this choice affects the taste and quality of the soup enormously.

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For one large pot of soup:-

One chicken

Two onions (white or brown)

6 carrots.

3 large leeks.

6 large sticks celery.

Fresh corn cut from 2 cobs.

Lots of flat leaf parsley.

Chicken stock - the very best quality (home-   

  made) would be best or Mordough.

Noodles - any kind - I use a small handful of                  

 spaghetti which I break into bite size pieces - the idea is to have just a little pasta as too much alters the taste of the soup.

Wash the chicken thoroughly and cut away any excess fat or skin and place in a large pot.  Quarter the onions, and roughly chop two carrots and 2 sticks of celery.  Add to the pot and fill the pot with water until the chicken is just covered.  I also add a little chopped parsley at this stage as well as a few black peppercorns.  

Put the lid on the pot and bring it to the boil. Once it has reached boiling point, turn it down to a simmer.  The chicken will take about an hour to cook. After an hour, use a wooden spoon to lift the chicken a little and if the chicken starts coming apart, it is ready.  Turn the heat off and allow the chicken to cool off in the pot - about an hour. 

In the meantime, chop all the remaining vegetables and cut the corn off the cobs.  Chop the parsley as well.  

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Then, lift the chicken carefully onto a plate and begin de-boning it, being careful not to overlook tiny bones.  Pull the chicken into bite size pieces. 

 Strain the remaining liquid in the pot, discarding the cooked vegetables and carefully retaining the liquid.   Pour the retained liquid back into the pot and you might have to add more stock.   If so,  add a very good quality stock.   I use Moredough chicken stock.  

Add the chopped vegetables as well as the corn kernels, and the pasta.  Cook slowly until vegetables are just tender.  Taste at this stage, and add salt or perhaps one or two Massel Salt reduced Chicken stock cubes.  Once the taste is good,  add the chicken pieces and heat through once more, being careful to not allow the the soup to boil too much as the chicken will shred.   Add more chopped parsley just before serving.  Obviously this recipe can be adapted and many more vegetables or flavours can be added.  Bon Appetit!

I made two pots today and we've just ours for supper!

Thank you for stopping by and I would love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a comment!...