How to Make Chicken Soup

A meal in itself, the beauty of this dish is that it can be had in any form―the really plain kind, or concocted into something more elaborate when combined with added ingredients. Let's learn how to make chicken soup.

The aroma, the flavors, the hot steam rising up to your face, the pieces of sweet corn in it―something so comforting about chicken soup, don't you think? The official comfort food when you're down with a temperature, or when nostalgia of home and mum's cooking grips you.

The really, really simple food. Essentially complete all by itself. No frills required, no elaborate preparations and hardly any time spent. Let's do this together, let's learn how to make chicken soup, shall we?

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds chicken
• 2½ quarts of cold water
• Parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 chopped carrots
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 chopped stalks of celery
• Pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

• Wash the chicken thoroughly.
• Get rid of all the excess fat.
• Make quarter pieces of the chicken. Place it in a stock pot.
• Add the cold water, the bay leaf and 2 teaspoons salt.
• Bring to boil by covering the pot with a cover.

• Once it boils, uncover it and remove the froth that has collected on the top layer.
• Let this simmer for 2 - 2 ½ hours.
• Add the remaining ingredients―celery, carrot, parsley, and onions into the pot.
• Let this simmer for about 45-50 minutes.

• The soup is ready to be eaten.
• You can mix cooked rice dumplings or noodles with the soup to add more substance to it.
• Add seasonings like coriander leaves, dill or sweet corn to add to the flavor.

Chicken stock is the most crucial ingredient when making chicken soup, and tastes best when prepared at home. It lends a very full and creamy texture to the soup, and increases the taste and flavors, making it more wholesome and delicious. Chicken stock cannot be substituted with broth or bouillon for that authentic taste.

To make this:

• Put 5-6 pounds of chicken pieces in a pot and add cold water till the pieces are covered in it.
• Boil it. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer.
• Skim it till no impurities remain (around 30 minutes).

• After which, add the following ingredients to it―1 coarsely chopped onion, 1 celery stick, some parsley, 1 carrot, 1 bay leaf, and a teaspoon of thyme.
• Simmer this for 3 hours after adding water so that it comes above all the ingredients.
• Then strain into a pot and refrigerate.

• The stock is ready to be used.
• Get rid of the fat that collects on the surface before using the stock.

Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken drumsticks
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 cups water
• Quarter teaspoon turmeric
• Quarter teaspoon garlic paste
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

• Take the chicken and clean the skin and fat. Wash it thoroughly.
• Take 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it in a pan.
• Add thickly cut onion slices in the oil and fry.
• After the color of the onion changes to light or golden brown, add the chicken drumsticks and fry for 4-5 minutes.

• Boil 3 cups of water in a pot.
• Add the fried chicken and onions into this water.
• Add the turmeric power, garlic powder, pepper, and salt into the pan and stir well.
• Add the chicken stock and stir till it mixes.
• Cover the pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
• The soup is ready to be served.

Now that making chicken soup has become clear to you, you can make a delicious, homemade batch and re-visit nostalgia. And while you are at it, call your friends over and wow them.