Old-Fashioned Chicken Soup From Scratch
Old-fashioned chicken soup is made from scratch with a whole chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and fresh herbs simmered into a rich homemade broth. For the best flavor, choose an organic or pasture-raised chicken when available. Serve with matzo balls, egg noodles, or crackers for a comforting family meal.
Equipment
- Soup pot 7- to 8-quart capacity
- Large spoon
- Fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Ladle
Ingredients
FOR THE SOUP
- 1 whole chicken, 3-4 pounds, cleaned out; preferably organic or pasture-raised
- 12 cups water
- 6 carrots, peeled and quartered
- 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 parsnip, peeled and trimmed
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 1 leek, cleaned well, roughly chopped, white and light green parts
- ½ bunch fresh dill
- 10 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or 15 whole peppercorns.
- 1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
OPTIONAL: ADDED VEGETABLES FOR SERVING
- 6 carrots peeled and sliced or diced
- 5 stalks celery ½ inch slices
- 2-4 small yellow onions peeled and sliced thin
- 6 dill sprigs stemmed and chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
TO PREPARE THE SOUP
- Remove the chicken from the package and take out the neck and liver, if included. Add the neck to the soup pot and reserve the liver for another use.
- Place the chicken in a 7- to 8-quart soup pot. Add 12 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Boil for 10 minutes. Skim the foam that rises to the top, lifting it out with a large spoon, and discard.
- Add the remaining soup ingredients. Reduce the heat to medium-low and maintain a gentle simmer. Set the cover ajar to allow some steam to escape and cook for 1½ hours, checking every 15 minutes to make sure the soup is not boiling rapidly.
- Remove the chicken and carrots; set aside. Discard the rest of the vegetables.
- Remove the legs and thighs from the chicken. Leave them whole or tear them into bite-size pieces; set aside. Remove the breast meat from the bones, then dice it or shred it with 2 forks.
- Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Divide the broth among shallow containers so it cools quickly. Refrigerate the broth, chicken, and carrots separately in airtight containers within 2 hours, preferably overnight. Once chilled, skim the hardened layer of fat from the broth.
- If using the optional serving vegetables, simmer them in the broth until tender. Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and add the chicken and cooked vegetables. Garnish with fresh dill and serve.
Notes
Storage and Freezing: Store leftover chicken soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot throughout, or to 165°F.
To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 287.4kcalCarbohydrates: 19.3gProtein: 19.7gTotal Fat: 14.7gSaturated Fat: 4.2gCholesterol: 71.4mgSodium: 448.7mgPotassium: 667.1mgFiber: 4.8gSugar: 8.1g
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