Chicken Soup

It's not often that I make soup, but it is one of my favourite things to cook.  No measuring, no preset plan or map, just fun.  There is always a starting point -- this week's roast chicken leftovers -- but after that, it's all playing by ear.

The down side to all this fun is that I never write down what I put in or how much I used, so this recipe is the soup I made as best I can remember.  Do not be afraid to take liberties with it.







Chicken Soup

• Place the chicken bones (with some of the meat still on) in a stock pot or Dutch oven, then cover with enough water to almost submerge the carcass.
• Bring this to a boil and let simmer for at least a couple of hours.  The bones should start to fall apart.  I let mine boil until the liquid was reduced to half, but depending on the size of the pot and the bird, more time and/or water may be needed.  If the liquid level drops too low, just add some more.

  

  The broth boiling away.

• Let this mixture cool until it can be handled comfortably
• Now it's time to debone the chicken.  The best way to do this is by hand, that way you can feel any bones or cartilage easily.  Place a colander or sieve over a large bowl or pot and pour the stock mixture through it.  Start separating the bones and meat, with the meat going into the liquid stock.  Discard the bones/cartilage/skin in the trash.
• Bring the chicken and broth back to a boil, then add onion and carrots.  I used about 1 1/2 cups of chopped onion and 4 cups of shredded carrots.
• Next I added about 2 cups of sliced mushrooms, the about 1 1/2 cups of leftover gravy.
• Let this boil for 10 or 15 minutes, then taste it.
• Mine seemed kind of flat, so I added a tablespoon of salt an fresh ground pepper, then let it boil for another 10 minutes.
• Still missing something!  Two tablespoons of oregano and another 10 minutes.  Much better.
• Serve hot right away or cool in the fridge and reheat tomorrow.  Or both.

Bubbling Away.