Nancy's Ol' Fashioned, Easy, Simple Chicken Soup...Un-Chained Recipe Contest!
Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 105.4
- Total Fat: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 51.7 mg
- Sodium: 675.0 mg
- Total Carbs: 3.9 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 16.7 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Nancy's Ol' Fashioned, Easy, Simple Chicken Soup...Un-Chained Recipe Contest! calories by ingredient
Introduction
This is (a) an improvement on Corner Bakery Cafe's Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup; (b) a large pot of vitamin-rich, naturally sweet, nutritious, chicken soup that (c) is very easy to make, (d) freezes well, (e) feeds about a dozen hungry people, and (f) I make throughout the year after having and making many different variations on a theme for many yearsAlthough it can take a little time to get the chicken off the bones, it's SO worth it! Also, if you don't want to use a whole chicken or shredding it just isn't your thing, you can use chicken parts or whole breasts instead, cut off the big chunks, and dice or shred them. They'll take less cooking time, too.
There's nothing better for you, especially when ONLY chicken soup will do! It's not ambrosia (nectar of the gods), but it's as close as I can get! I appreciate your feedback and input. Enjoy! SparkPeople rocks my world! Nancy, a/k/a KEEPITMOVING This is (a) an improvement on Corner Bakery Cafe's Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup; (b) a large pot of vitamin-rich, naturally sweet, nutritious, chicken soup that (c) is very easy to make, (d) freezes well, (e) feeds about a dozen hungry people, and (f) I make throughout the year after having and making many different variations on a theme for many years
Although it can take a little time to get the chicken off the bones, it's SO worth it! Also, if you don't want to use a whole chicken or shredding it just isn't your thing, you can use chicken parts or whole breasts instead, cut off the big chunks, and dice or shred them. They'll take less cooking time, too.
There's nothing better for you, especially when ONLY chicken soup will do! It's not ambrosia (nectar of the gods), but it's as close as I can get! I appreciate your feedback and input. Enjoy! SparkPeople rocks my world! Nancy, a/k/a KEEPITMOVING
Number of Servings: 12
Ingredients
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Nancy’s Ol’ Fashioned, Easy, Simple Chicken Soup
1 whole chicken (about 3-5 lbs.)
4 quarts cold water (I use filtered or spring; tap is fine)
3 large carrots
3 large celery stalks
3 large, whole garlic cloves
1 large, sweet onion (or 2 medium)
3 dried bay leaves
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon (kosher) salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons black pepper (to taste)
¼ cup chopped, fresh, Italian, flat-leaf parsley
1-½ cs. cooked barley, pastina, orzo, acini de pepe, alphabets, brown rice, wheat noodles, or other small-size, complex carbohydrate (optional)
Directions
1. Wash chicken well (inside and out, remove organs, you can use them in this soup of you want, just make sure you wash them, too). Remove and dispose of chicken fat that is naturally lodged inside the lower cavity of the chicken near the thighs (some people save this fat, wrap it up, freeze it, and use it to fry things because, when the fat is heated, it renders down, like oil, but it’s too much cholesterol and fat for me!). Fill large pot with water and put in chicken.
2. Add salt and pepper; wrap thyme and bay leaves in some knotted cheesecloth for easier removal later; add to pot. Wash carrots, chop off bottoms, cut one in half and the other two in thirds; wash celery, cut off bottoms, cut one in half and the other two in thirds, and don't forget to cut off and include the green celery-tops (unless you're using celery hearts); peel off onion skin, chop off ends, leave whole; peel garlic cloves, leave whole; put all prepared and whole veggies in water with chicken; cover pot with tight lid; bring to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring a few times to keep everything moving around, cooking evenly, not sticking to bottom of the pot, or catching from the heat.
3. Simmer slowly, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 1-½ to 2 hours, until the chicken turns white, is cooked through, and hasn't yet fallen apart. Remove bay leaves and thyme. Using two, large, slotted spoons, carefully remove all chicken pieces, put in a big bowl, away from the stove, for about 20 minutes (with slotted spoons, press hard to separate all joints and large pieces of meat, like the thighs and breast, to crack skeleton apart for quicker cooling and easier handling).
4. While the chicken is cooling, take out the halves of the cooked carrot and celery, cut up into smaller pieces, and return to the soup. Sprinkle in parsley. Stir. Get out your food processor, scoop out with large, slotted spoons all veggies BUT the carrot and celery you just cut (NOTE: some of the onion may have separated, so include those larger pieces if you can; also, search for the garlic, which might have dissolved, so don't worry about it if you can't find it), and add veggies to your food processor. Pulse everything first to get it going (10 seconds), then puree until veggies begin to liquefy and slip down the inside of the top of the food processor (20 seconds). Add all pureed veggies back into soup pot. Add cooked noodles, pasta, rice, or other, optional, complex carb. Stir well. When chicken is cool and easier to handle, take a few large dark meat pieces and/or about ½ of a chicken breast, put in the food processor, and pulse (15 seconds). Add chopped chicken back to soup. Take apart rest of the chicken with your fingers, picking as much meat as you can off the bones and ripping it into small, bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back to soup. Reheat for a couple of minutes and stir well.
This recipe makes about twelve, substantial, 12-14 ounce servings.
NOTE: I always freeze a few servings in different size containers, so all I have to do is defrost it and I'm good to go! Also, the easiest way to defat this soup is to wait until it's cool and skim off the fat on the top with a large spoon and/or freeze in containers, so the fat rises to the top, and can easily be skimmed off prior to reheating.
Number of Servings: 12
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user KEEPITMOVING.
2. Add salt and pepper; wrap thyme and bay leaves in some knotted cheesecloth for easier removal later; add to pot. Wash carrots, chop off bottoms, cut one in half and the other two in thirds; wash celery, cut off bottoms, cut one in half and the other two in thirds, and don't forget to cut off and include the green celery-tops (unless you're using celery hearts); peel off onion skin, chop off ends, leave whole; peel garlic cloves, leave whole; put all prepared and whole veggies in water with chicken; cover pot with tight lid; bring to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring a few times to keep everything moving around, cooking evenly, not sticking to bottom of the pot, or catching from the heat.
3. Simmer slowly, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 1-½ to 2 hours, until the chicken turns white, is cooked through, and hasn't yet fallen apart. Remove bay leaves and thyme. Using two, large, slotted spoons, carefully remove all chicken pieces, put in a big bowl, away from the stove, for about 20 minutes (with slotted spoons, press hard to separate all joints and large pieces of meat, like the thighs and breast, to crack skeleton apart for quicker cooling and easier handling).
4. While the chicken is cooling, take out the halves of the cooked carrot and celery, cut up into smaller pieces, and return to the soup. Sprinkle in parsley. Stir. Get out your food processor, scoop out with large, slotted spoons all veggies BUT the carrot and celery you just cut (NOTE: some of the onion may have separated, so include those larger pieces if you can; also, search for the garlic, which might have dissolved, so don't worry about it if you can't find it), and add veggies to your food processor. Pulse everything first to get it going (10 seconds), then puree until veggies begin to liquefy and slip down the inside of the top of the food processor (20 seconds). Add all pureed veggies back into soup pot. Add cooked noodles, pasta, rice, or other, optional, complex carb. Stir well. When chicken is cool and easier to handle, take a few large dark meat pieces and/or about ½ of a chicken breast, put in the food processor, and pulse (15 seconds). Add chopped chicken back to soup. Take apart rest of the chicken with your fingers, picking as much meat as you can off the bones and ripping it into small, bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back to soup. Reheat for a couple of minutes and stir well.
This recipe makes about twelve, substantial, 12-14 ounce servings.
NOTE: I always freeze a few servings in different size containers, so all I have to do is defrost it and I'm good to go! Also, the easiest way to defat this soup is to wait until it's cool and skim off the fat on the top with a large spoon and/or freeze in containers, so the fat rises to the top, and can easily be skimmed off prior to reheating.
Number of Servings: 12
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user KEEPITMOVING.
Member Ratings For This Recipe
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JEMPOWER
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KITTYDOT
I made this today and found it delicious, healthy and very low in carbs, exactly the way I cook.......LOVED IT - 11/10/09
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (11/11/09)
Thanks, KITTYDOT! I appreciate all feedback and glad you didn't mind the chicken-prep time because it adds so much homestyle flavor to my recipe. Enjoy! Nancy
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MEL1178
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VTMELWEL
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GRANMOMMY
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JANIEWWJD
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LAJAGUAR
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DANISHGIRL4
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FLAWHITEWOLF
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BILLTHOMSON
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RD03875
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LATYSHANASH
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MRSJAS3
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GRANDPADAVE627
INCREDIBLE!!!! I simplified the recipe though, for those of you that dont want to deal with de-boning a chicken and such, this is what I did: I used all the same ingredients except instead of a whole chicken I used a couple boneless-skinless chicken breasts and thighs with a total weight of 3-5 lbs. - 8/7/13
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YANKEEBACKHOME
I skip the carrots and onion (I use green/spring onions instead), and use shirataki noodles instead (No net carbs, great fibre), and have even less net carbs! And I use my own mix of herbs (don't like flat leaf parsley).
YUMMM and great on a cold, nasty day! - 8/29/11
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (10/21/12)
u got it goin on and totally rock my sparkworld! thanks! nancy
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LILANGEL181
This is such a tasty soup that I used it as the base for a Passover friendly chicken soup (using matzo-balls instead of rice or grain). I just LOVE the shredded chicken and processed veggies, and didn't think it was tough to do at all!
Thanks for the yummyness,
~Laura - 4/20/11
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (12/2/11)
i, too, have used it as a passover-friendly meal! glad u enjoyed it. nancy
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ROIETMOM
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SUSANAT2
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HUNGRY_HAGGIS
Just made this soup with my nine year old and she said " It looks and tastes like something you get out of a restaurant... A really posh one!" High praise indeed from the child that hates vegetables but cleared 2 bowls of this! Thank you for the recipe, it was easy to make and lovely to eat. - 1/21/11
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (12/2/11)
getting veggies into kids is one of my specialties! nancy
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DDWMITCH
My teen-aged son. and my husband both had seconds!
I'm sure it would've deserved the five stars had I used a whole chicken instead of split breasts, but since I tweaked...
- 11/16/10
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (12/2/11)
any and all tweaking is allowed....and encouraged! go for the whole chicken next time! it's sooooo worth it! nancy
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STACEYS32
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CATHYSIX
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KRAMTHEGRAM
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DORSKI
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THENEXTJESS
I love the big servings!!! Not too bad on the sodium for a soup. I'd probably make it into 8-ounce servings rather than 12-14 ounces. Sounds like a good lazy Saturday project with my crock pot! - 11/4/09
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (11/5/09)
I like a larger serving in a nice sized bowl, especially when it's cold or I have one. Thanks for your input! Nancy
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LEAN-N-LEXY
Oooh, never thought of pureeing some of the meat before. Sounds like a yummy addition to how I do my soup. - 11/4/09
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (11/5/09)
I puree A LOT of things because it's so easy, makes soups and sauces sweeter from the natural sugar, things taste much healthier, more substantial, and a lot more flavorful.
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OLIVERSMOM2
This sounds delicious, but complicated to make. Although I've never worked with whole chicken before so it could be easier than I make it in my head. - 11/4/09
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (11/10/09)
It is easier than you think, really it is. A few people have mentioned that it seems like a lot of work, but this is ol' fashioned, and years ago, they sure didn't open up cans of pre-made stock or buy cut-up chicken!
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SHUTRBUG1
I make homemade soup every week and freeze portions. The pureeing of the vegetables is different for me, and I'm going to try it. This sounds so healthy! - 11/4/09
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (12/2/11)
yes, healthy is one word i'd use to describe it. right up there with "delish"!!! thanks for the input. nancy
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ELGREENIE1
This sounds savory and homey! Tearing up that chicken sounds like a lot of work and worth it. YUM! - 11/3/09
Reply from KEEPITMOVING (11/5/09)
Try it as a labor of love and you might score it higher. Plus it'll be especially good, healthy, and satisfying, since you know exactly what you put into it and how much everybody is going to LOVE IT! Nancy
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PICKIE98
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SOOKIE
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TAPARKER1
