My Rambling Chicken Soup Recipe

Everybody has their way of making chicken soup, usually learned from their Mom. I'm no different. Mom added things like Rotel tomatoes and green olives to leftover Thanksgiving Turkey soup, which really sets her soup apart from others. I continue to do that and found it works equally well with chicken. My soup varies from hers as I use barley and rice instead of pasta or potatoes. If there is leftover corn, peas or rice during the week, stick it into the freezer until you make soup. The leafy portion of the celery is particularly good for soup. I frankly don't like white meat in soup, so this is where I use wings, legs, and pretty much everything else. Freeze the liver, gizzard and heart for a stuffing; it makes the soup look more like goop. I eliminate the degreasing step by removing the skin prior to cooking. Don't be too particular. A little chicken oil adds to the flavor of the soup, but you don't want it looking like an oil spill. Also, I took a tip from Alton Brown (Good Eats) and now chop up and add those little dried up stubs of leftover cheese in the meat drawer (cut off any moldy bits). Mine is a quick to make soup. If you want the very rich chicken soup associated with Jewish mothers, you have to simmer the chicken, carrots, celery, onion and parsley 3-4 hours on low, but it uses the same basic ingredients without the bullion or soup base.

My amounts are approximate, so just adjust for your pot size. I use either a 3 qt. saucepan or a dutch oven. The whole green olives have more flavor than the presliced salad olives. Use only 1/4 can of Rotel tomatoes unless you really like hot. Alternately, use canned, frozen or fresh tomatoes, diced or chopped. If using potatoes, dice one or two and add. For pasta, use just a small handful or you will get stew. I prefer Orzo (100% semolina) by RiceSelect (in the natural foods aisle). It's an interesting melon shape. I do use rice, but usually only leftovers (even Rice a Roni works well). Just a small handful please! The chicken base has less salt, but feel free to use bouillon. You can get the really nice barley in the soup aisle, or get the not so pretty, but cheap barley in the natural foods section. I learned on an Italian cooking show to add another teaspoon of Italian spice 15 minutes before the end of your cooking time. Gives more of a fresh flavor. Finally, there is no reason why you can't use chopped beef in this recipe if what you have is leftover roast. Use Swanson's Beef broth as your base, but everything else is the same. It doesn't work so well with pork (cooked chopped italian sausage links work fine though, but use chicken base).



Stephanie's Chicken Soup

Pot, 1/2 full of water
Chicken parts, remove skin (can also use leftover turkey)
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning (1-2 tablespoons)
Fresh parsley, chopped, if you have it
jar of green olives, liquid reserved
1/4 can Rotel tomatoes (optional, but does give good zing)
chopped tomatoes (canned, frozen or fresh) (optional)
frozen corn or peas, or leftovers
carrots - 1-2 peeled and chopped
celery - 1-2 stalks chopped
onion - 1/2 onion chopped
pearled barley (handful or two, depending on size of pot)
1 tablespoon Chicken base (Penzey's Spices), or a can or two of Swanson's Chicken Broth
several handfuls of well-washed fresh spinach, added in final minutes (optional).

Fill half of pot with water and add chicken parts. Cook on med-low and cover for about an hour. Remove chicken. Let it cool a little while and then remove chicken from bones. Chop and place back into pot. Pour liquid from olives into pot and slice olives in half. Add everything to pot, top with either chicken broth or more water, and place on med-low heat. Cover. Cook for about 40 minutes or until pearl barley is done and vegetables are tender. If you want, add 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning 15 minutes before cooking is complete.

Link to Penzey's chicken soup base http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssoupbase.html


This is another method of making soup that I just loved. It's different every time, but you don't waste any food in your fridge. Just set aside leftovers and make this once a week. Can also add cheddar cheese.

GARBAGE SOUP

Phyllis Diller, the Comedian

Home Alone Recipe #2 includes water, vegetables and herbs, and leftovers--including meat, spaghetti with sauce, spicy stir fry, mashed potatoes with gravy, and salad, all topped with Lawry's seasoned salt, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. No measurements, just whatever you've got.

Scientifically Proven Cold Soothing Chicken Soup

On Good Morning America (6/6/07), this author claimed to have concocted the best chicken soup recipe for a cold. I disagree with boiling; I think a simmer is a better choice and results in less vitamin loss. Also, to make this recipe, you need an 8 quart stock pot; if you only have a dutch oven, use a knife or kitchen shears and cut the chicken in half and halve the remaining ingredients.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=3247169