I'm trying to make chicken soup.... am I doing it right?

[MonkeyFunk]

I had a big ol' chicken carcass with a bunch of meat. I picked off all the usable meat and have set it aside.

Now I'm boiling the carcass with a bunch of celery, carrots, onions, some garlic and parsley, and a bay leaf. I'll strain it all out and save the stock, then add back the chicken, some corn, mushrooms, and some yellow beans. Maybe throw in a can of tomatoes.


I've never done this before. It seems the way to go about it, but if I'm fucking it up, tell me now!

[KitchenWitch]

1. You are doing it right!

:hi:

[MonkeyFunk]

3. Yay!

How long should I let the "stock" boil? I have it simmering... should I boil or simmer?

[KitchenWitch]

4. Simmer for at least 3 hours.

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Simmer, don't boil...

:)

[asthmaticeog]

2. How funny - I just did that today, too.

I don't really make full on soup though, I just save the stock and use it to make whatever soup I happen to feel like, one serving at a time.

Oh, and you're doing it right. The longer you simmer it, the better it is. I usually never go less than 4 hours, fwiw.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. cool, thanks!

It's just that time of year I guess. I was hankering to roast a chicken the other day, and I did. But there was way too much meat to use it all, so I thought "ooh! soup!"

[ashling]

7. When do we eat?

A good thing to do when you find bulk
chicken parts on sale...doesn't matter what parts.

put them in a crock pot even if they are frozen, bay leaves, carrots, thyme, a little rosemary,
after it all cooks off the bone, strain out the bones, add fresh mushrooms and fresh egg noodles or dumplings.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[MonkeyFunk]

28. that sounds good

I don't have a crock pot but I want one. The problem is, my partner is a vegetarian and I'm not. So I can think of all sorts of things I'd do in a crock pot, but very few things he could enjoy.

[Redstone]

8. You're doing it right, and will understand that when you eat that soup. It'll be good.

And good on you for putting in the effort to make the homemade stuff. You'll find that it's well worth the work.

Redstone

[Deja Q]

9. I usually buy a can for 97 cents... I don't like having to choke my chicken...

:hide:

[MonkeyFunk]

14. I thought that's all you ever did

judging from your posts here.

And thanks for creepily sexing up a thread about chicken soup.

[Generic Brad]

10. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good.

I recommend you leave out the tomatoes (but that's just my preference). Sounds wonderful!

[OzarkDem]

11. Sounds good!

You're doing very well, tell us how it turns out!

[CatWoman]

12. don't forget to skim the fat off the top

let it cool a little after you're done boiling the carcass, and then skim the fat off.

You can use a large spoon, or a small cup.

[MonkeyFunk]

13. Yeah, that's my plan

I made the stock today, just strained it all and put it in the fridge. Tomorrow I'll actually make the soup.

It smells great!

[KittyWampus]

15. Taste test before adding tomatoes and if you use them, check to see if they've got sodium

or it might add too much salt.

Sounds yummy.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. Yeah

not sure about the tomatoes. Thought they might be good. I'll add the beans, corn, carrots and mushrooms and see if it needs anything else.

[Norwood]

16. Sounds absolutely delicious!

[rug]

18. Crumple in some corn flakes for body.

[Kali]

19. More garlic!

or not, - toss the carrots and celery from the big simmer (pets?) and chop some fresh for the soup.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. That's the plan!

I gave the cooked carrots to my dog and tortoise, and strained everything. Now I have a nice clear broth and tomorrow I'll add new vegetables, a little pasta and some beans.

[grasswire]

20. the reason to simmer, not boil...

....is because boiling gives your liquid a gray color that is unappetizing. Ugh.

However, there is a remedy for this if you already did it. A couple of drops of yellow food coloring will make it look good as new.

[MonkeyFunk]

23. thanks! That's good to know...

I simmered.. I have a nice clear yellow liquid now. Tomorrow I'll make soup!

[beyurslf]

21. Sounds good to me.

You can add a frozen bag of noodles at the end. It is one of our favorites at home.

[MonkeyFunk]

24. I got some little tiny pasta balls...

Acine de Pepe... to add at the last few minutes.


*cue Hypnochoad to make a comment about his giant enormous pasta balls*

[CreekDog]

25. Vurst u get da chickee... n/t

[Ellen Forradalom]

26. When I asked a diner prep cook about his chicken soup recipe

he began, "Take one fuckin' chicken..."

[MonkeyFunk]

27. LOL...

it's always hard to get profanity-free advice from New Yorkers.

[krispos42]

29. Open can, pour in pot

fill can with water, pour in pot

Heat. Eat, preferably with saltines.

Ta-da!

:-)

[TreasonousBastard]

30. I just made some chicken soup, with...

some frozen stock I made a few months ago. Cream soup with sugar snap peas.

As you heard, you're doing the stock right. You can keep it in the fridge or freeze it You could even keep it sitting on the stove and just heat it up every day to keep it from going bad. (After straining the bones out, of course.)

Clear chicken soup-- just toss some of the cooked chicken and some beggies in there. Noodles, too. Since the chicken is already cooked, toss it in last.

Cream of chicken soup-- thicken the broth with flour, instant potato, cornstarch, or any combination. Toss in veggies, but no noodles. Add heavy cream or sour cream toward the end for the final thickening and goodness. A little butter in there is good, too. A lot of butter is even better.

Seasonings? You're pretty much on your own since you have your own taste preferences. Almost anything works in chicken soup. I always throw a little cayenne and some ginger, myself.