hotelandfoodlover: Sandra's warming chicken soup - the natural immune booster
Homemade chicken soup is more than just a classic - it warms, strengthens the immune system and is simply good for you. With a whole soup chicken, fresh vegetables and aromatic spices, you can make a hearty broth that is not only beneficial for colds. What makes it special? Some of the vegetables are cooked for flavour, while the garnish is cooked separately so that it remains firm to the bite the next day. A real feel-good dish that is perfect for preparing, freezing and using in a variety of ways! 🍲✨
Ingredients
- For the soup:
- 2 Kg Soup chicken (approx. 1.5 - 2 kg)
- 3-4 liter Cold water
- 2 Onions with skin
- 2 Carrots, peeled
- 1 Leek stalk, cut lengthways, outer leaves removed, washed, halved
- 300 g 1/2 celery root, peeled and halved
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Garlic clove
- 8 Peppercorns
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the vegetable garnish:
- 5 Carrots, peeled and cut into slices
- 300 g 1/2 celery root, peeled and diced
- 1 Leek stalk, cut lengthways, outer leaves removed, washed, cut into rings
- Fresh parsley to garnish
- 400 g Soup noodles or rice (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation
- Brown the onions: Cut the onions in half with the skin on and fry in a pan without fat until they are dark brown. This gives them a rich colour and a more intense flavour.
- Pour in water: Once the onions have browned, add cold water to the pan (3-4 litres).
- Add the chicken and skim:Place the washed soup chicken in the pan. Bring the water to the boil again and add salt. Keep skimming off the rising foam with a ladle.
- Add the soup vegetables and spices:As soon as the chicken is boiling and the first foam has been skimmed off, add the peeled carrots in one piece, the leek cut in half lengthways and the celery root cut in half.
- Add the bunch of parsley, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns. Continue to skim off any foam that forms.Leave the soup to simmer gently at a low temperature for approx. 3 hours.
- Prepare the vegetable garnish separately:Peel and slice the 5 carrots.Peel half the celery root and cut into cubes.Cut the leek lengthways, remove the outer leaves, wash and cut into rings.Cook the prepared vegetables in a separate pan in salted water until al dente.
- Note: The vegetables are cooked separately so that they are still fresh and firm to the bite the next day.
- Flavour:After the cooking time, remove the chicken from the soup and strain the stock through a sieve. Flavour the stock with salt and pepper.
- Chop up the chicken meat and use as a garnish.
- Further use:You can freeze the soup in portions.You can use the remaining chicken meat to make chicken fricassee.You can puree the vegetables that have been cooked in the soup and turn them into a vegetable soup.
- Cook the pasta separately:Cook the soup noodles or rice separately as required.
- Serve:Serve the soup with chicken, vegetables and noodles or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley
- Bon appétit!
Notes
Soup vegetables for flavour & garnish separately:
Soup vegetables are added during cooking to give the broth flavour. However, the separate vegetables are cooked separately so that they remain firm to the bite the next day. ✔ Soup noodles or rice:
Depending on your taste, the soup can be enjoyed with soup noodles, rice or simply on its own. Both should be cooked separately and only added when serving so that the soup remains clear. ✔ Freeze the stock:
The chicken stock is perfect for freezing. It is best to freeze it in small portions so that you can defrost it quickly when needed. ✔ Use of the chicken meat:
The cooked chicken meat can be used as a soup garnish or for other dishes such as chicken fricassee, chicken salad or wraps. ✔ Vegetable soup made from soup vegetables:
The vegetables cooked with the chicken can be puréed and used to make your own vegetable soup - perfect for combating food waste! ✔ Nutritional values may vary:
The exact nutritional values depend on the type of chicken used, the ingredients and possible additions such as noodles or rice. ✔ Adjust the seasoning:
As the stock is only seasoned with salt and pepper after the chicken has been removed, the seasoning can be adjusted according to taste.
Soup vegetables are added during cooking to give the broth flavour. However, the separate vegetables are cooked separately so that they remain firm to the bite the next day. ✔ Soup noodles or rice:
Depending on your taste, the soup can be enjoyed with soup noodles, rice or simply on its own. Both should be cooked separately and only added when serving so that the soup remains clear. ✔ Freeze the stock:
The chicken stock is perfect for freezing. It is best to freeze it in small portions so that you can defrost it quickly when needed. ✔ Use of the chicken meat:
The cooked chicken meat can be used as a soup garnish or for other dishes such as chicken fricassee, chicken salad or wraps. ✔ Vegetable soup made from soup vegetables:
The vegetables cooked with the chicken can be puréed and used to make your own vegetable soup - perfect for combating food waste! ✔ Nutritional values may vary:
The exact nutritional values depend on the type of chicken used, the ingredients and possible additions such as noodles or rice. ✔ Adjust the seasoning:
As the stock is only seasoned with salt and pepper after the chicken has been removed, the seasoning can be adjusted according to taste.
