Chicken soup - how do I make it (merged threads)

squeaky

If you already have chicken stock see: Chicken stock to soup

Otherwise... Chicken soup - how do I make it (merged threads)

And just for stock: How do i make my own chicken stock?


HTH

Jevvers

What VJsmum said.

I sometimes will make an Asian-style soup too. Make the soup stock as described above then just chuck in some stirfry style veg eg carrot matchsticks, very thinly sliced pepper / spring onions/ ginger / mushrooms etc.
Then add cooked chicken strips from off the carcass and some dried noodles and cook til it's all heated through - about 5-10 mins. Garnish to taste with lime quarters, sliced chilli and coriander leaves.
Easy and quick (once the stock is made - I tend to make it with saved stock).

suki1964

VJsmum wrote: »

Here is what i do

Remove all possible meat from carcass, not forgetting the bits underneath

Put carcass in large pan of water add garlic, celery, onions, leek, carrots - probably 2 - 3 garlics, couple sticks celery, couple each onions leeks and carrots

They don't need peeling - just bash garlic and roughly chop veg, and quarter the onions

Add either a bunch of herbs tied up or, if you're me, a couple of bouquet garnis or some mixed herbs

Bring to boil and simmer with lid on for 2 - 3 hours

Leave to cool and strain liquid into a separate container.

Go over the carcass thouroughly and pick off any usable meat (i would only use this meat in soup)

This is a bit minging but it is amazing how much you get off. Throw the carcass and veg away - compost.

You can then batch the stock and freeze it to use in risotto, future soup, or gravies etc.

TO make soup

Unless you have a specific recipe - leek and potato, carrot and coriander etc then this is what i do

put in a selection of hatever veg i have - onion, carrot, leek, celery, runner beans, sweetcorn, sweet potato, potato

Add the meat from the carcass

add a tin or two of tomatoes and some puree / ketchup (i tend to rinse out "old" ketchup bottles where you can't quite get that last bit!)

Add some lentils / pearl barley or soup mix, though this is better soaked overnight before adding. Add some mixed herbs and seasoning

Boil for an hour or two, thicken with cornflour if you like - or potato,

When it's done, turn it off and leave it for a day as it's always better the next day.

Can be frozen

HTH

You THROW the veggies away:eek::eek:

I have to say they get liquidised into the soup in this house. The only thing I do is remove the cooked onion skins - everything else is fair game and edible so it stays :rotfl:

mandi

VJsmum wrote: »

Here is what i do

Remove all possible meat from carcass, not forgetting the bits underneath

Put carcass in large pan of water add garlic, celery, onions, leek, carrots - probably 2 - 3 garlics, couple sticks celery, couple each onions leeks and carrots

They don't need peeling - just bash garlic and roughly chop veg, and quarter the onions

Add either a bunch of herbs tied up or, if you're me, a couple of bouquet garnis or some mixed herbs

Bring to boil and simmer with lid on for 2 - 3 hours

Leave to cool and strain liquid into a separate container.

Go over the carcass thouroughly and pick off any usable meat (i would only use this meat in soup)

This is a bit minging but it is amazing how much you get off. Throw the carcass and veg away - compost.

You can then batch the stock and freeze it to use in risotto, future soup, or gravies etc.

TO make soup

Unless you have a specific recipe - leek and potato, carrot and coriander etc then this is what i do

put in a selection of hatever veg i have - onion, carrot, leek, celery, runner beans, sweetcorn, sweet potato, potato

Add the meat from the carcass

add a tin or two of tomatoes and some puree / ketchup (i tend to rinse out "old" ketchup bottles where you can't quite get that last bit!)

Add some lentils / pearl barley or soup mix, though this is better soaked overnight before adding. Add some mixed herbs and seasoning

Boil for an hour or two, thicken with cornflour if you like - or potato,

When it's done, turn it off and leave it for a day as it's always better the next day.

Can be frozen

HTH

For a much quicker & cheaper version . Boil carcass for 10 mins, throw in veg, no soak lentils & 2 chicken stock cubes .

Simmer for 25 mins blend & serve .

VJsmum

suki1964 wrote: »

You THROW the veggies away:eek::eek:

I have to say they get liquidised into the soup in this house. The only thing I do is remove the cooked onion skins - everything else is fair game and edible so it stays :rotfl:

To be honest i have thought about not chucking them but whenever i've seen it done on tv, or recipes it says to chuck. As the chicken carcass disintegrates it would be quite hard sorting the wheat from the chaff.


Mandi - you blend the carcass?

valk_scot

I just cover the chicken carcass in water, bring it to the boil and simmer it for an hour or so, then strain. It looks like greasy grey water at this point rather than soup but if you taste it, the flavour is in there. Then I chop up a few vegetables...an onion, couple of celery stalks, two or three big carrots, a leek or two and sweat them briefly in a little bit of oil (or not...it's not essential)...add the stock and 100g of red lentils, bring up to the boil again and simmer till the lentils have disintegrated and the veg is soft. At this point you can blend it or, if leaving it chunky, add a handful of frozen peas in the last five minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This is my basic lentil and veg soup recipe. I make it a lot, we all like it, you can use up all the dubious bendy bits of veg in the fridge in it if you want and vary it, depending on what you've got. I keep bags of chopped up leftover or whoopsied veg in the freezer so I can put it together in minutes. It's cheap, very tasty and warming and popular with most folks. Of course you can make it as elaborate as you like once you've got your stock.

ladylouise62

If you do want to freeze it, boil it for longer to reduce the liquid, then it takes less room in the freezer... don't forget to add back the water when you do use it, though

Pink.

Hi empy,

As your thread has dropped down the board I've added it to our existing one on making chicken soup, to keep the recipes together.

Pink

Gleek

Afternoon

I'm planning to batch cook tomorrow and so I've had a clear out of my freezer and found a stray 2kg bag of Tesco chicken fillets. According to the bag they are leg, thigh and drumsticks - http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=259192841

I've no idea how they got there or how long they've been there :rotfl: but they are in date and so I've taken them out to defrost rather than the chicken I was going to do and use the meat from those to do things to get them out the way.

One thing I've never made is soup, I understand that it can be made by boiling the carcass of the bird? I have some soup mix thing from Approved Food (Sainsburys Country Mix) so I'm assuming that can be used too but what about the bones from this? Can I make a soup from the leg bones or is it best to wait until I do a full chicken?

If it is possible, how do I go about it? (Have a food processor and veg to add too )

Thanks

Missli

I usually use HM stock from a whole chicken carcass. I do in my slow cooker though, so there is little evaporation of the meat juices.

If doing portions in a SC , perhaps would be best to skin first (as dislike it), and cook the chicken portions in water, or wine, with 2 to 3 large onions (or leeks, or a combo), garlic, 2 large chopped carrots, (red lentils (optional)), and whatever other seasonings/veg you want, until meat is just cooked.

Would then remove meat, and put aside, whilst discarding bones, and using a hand blender to whizz up the remainder. Cut the meat into required size, and put back in, with whatever soup ingredients (or other veg) you require. Then cook for a few hours longer. Not sure with stove-top, oven method.

I dislike soup mix, as can be gloopy if too much is used (just me perhaps). I usually use lentils, or some tinned bean ie: Cannellini, Kidney, etc.

Adjust seasoning near the end. I like marigold veg bouillon powder, with a little sea-salt, and black pepper, as do not use meat stock-cubes.