A good chicken soup recipe is often a hand me down that's jotted down on a little scrap of paper. Soon enough, you learn it by heart. Often, you'll make your own tweaks and changes to suit your family. My classic chicken soup recipe started from my Mom, got inspiration from my sister, then became my own thing. It doesn't matter where you get your recipe, or exactly how you make it. What matters, is that it tastes like home.
What goes into my classic chicken soup:
Let's start of with my selection of vegetables and seasonings. It's pretty standard:
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Turnips
- Celery
- Onion - I like to leave the second layer of peel on the onion, for a more golden color.
- Fresh parsley or dill - totally optional. I only add when I already have some on hand.
- Kosher salt- My go-to salt for everything.
The chicken:
There are all sorts of chicken parts that you can use, but my favorite is the chicken leg. It doesn't give off a lot of scum and has a nice amount of meat on it for those who like shredded chicken in their soup.
The method for my classic chicken soup:
- Peel and cut veggies to your preference.
- Place the chicken legs and parsley in their own mesh bags.
- Place everything in a pot.
- Fill a 6 quart pot with water, until it covers 99% of the contents.
- Season with salt.
- Bring to a boil and skim any scum that rises to the surface. Cover hte pot and lower the flame to a very low simmer.
- Cook for 10-12 hours or overnight.
- Taste the soup and see if it needs any more salt.
Variations:
I prefer that the soup cooks for a long time to develop a rich flavor and a deep golden color. However, it's not entirely necessary. You can definitely cook yours for less time, if leaving it for longer is not an option.
You can use other vegetables like zucchini and other parts of the chicken like necks or bones. Turkey necks work great too, they add a really great flavor and an incredible golden color. I do find that they tend to be salty, so season accordingly.
Storing:
Fridge: Chicken soup lasts for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Freezer: Properly stored chicken soup will last for 4-6 months in the freezer.
My Classic Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 3 chicken legs
- 5 stalks celery
- 6 carrots
- 1 large turnip
- 3 medium parsnips
- 1 large onion
- 1 bunch fresh parsley optional
- water to cover
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel and cut up all the vegetables into your desired shape and size.
- Place them in a 6 quart pot.
- Put the chicken legs in a mesh bag and tie it up. Put the parsley in a mesh bag and tie that as well. Place both bags in the pot.
- Fill the pot up with water, until its covering most or all of the vegetables.
- Add salt. Bring the soup to a boil, and skim any scum that comes to the top.
- Cover and place the pot on a very low flame. Cook for about 12 hours.
- Season with additional salt to taste.
- Store in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 4-6 months. (The vegetables will get very soft when they are frozen.)
[…] My Classic Chicken Soup […]