Who doesn’t like good ‘ol chicken soup? This particular chicken soup recipe is very simple to make… and how do I know this? Because I make it! After all, my motto is if it’s in’t simple, I don’t post it.
Flexibility in Cooking
There are 101 ways to make this soup and there certainly is no one correct or best method although many will claim they have the perfect recipe. What’s perfect for them may not be perfect for you.You use what you have and you adjust as needed.
For example, some people like to use shredded chicken while others prefer large chucks of diced chicken in their soup. Which is better? Depends on what you like. Try it one way then try it the other way and see which you prefer.
Personally I like shredded chicken while my husband prefers cubed chicken pieces. So yeah – get the ingredients list from other people and basic techniques, but feel free as a bird (ha ha) to experiment.
Chicken Soup Building Blocks
My goal with this recipe is to provide you a base recipe that you can build upon and modify as you get comfortable with it.
When you make chicken soup make sure to freeze whatever you don’t use. In fact sometimes I make it just to keep in the freezer for when my husband or I get sick.
For me, the key is making sure the chicken is more than cooked all the way. This keeps it from having the “spongy” texture. You can add more ingredient portions than I recommend but this is a good place to start. However, I learned that adding too many carrots will make the soup too sweet for my tastes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 Large Carrots Chopped fine
- 2 Large Celery Stalks and the leaves Chopped fine
- 1 Large Onion Chopped fine
- 3 Chicken breasts Cubed or shredded
- 1 dash salt
Instructions
- Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat
- Fill large sauce pan or pot 3/4 full with water
- Add salt bring to boil
- Add in chopped carrots, celery plus leaves, onion and chicken
- Boil about 40 minutes then remove scum that might appear on top of water
- Lower heat to low-medium for 2-3 hours stirring every once in awhile until chicken is fully cooked and I mean really cooked! Not spongy and no doubt about it cooked. Remember it's in water so it won't dry out. 🙂
- Give a taste test when near completion to make sure it is good with flavor. You can add in more ingredients if need be.
Notes
Tip #3: Do not use the same spoon each time for tasting. Either clean it or get a new one, especially when sick.
Tip #4: For extra bulk, add in cooked noodles such as ditalini or other small pasta shape like those little stars.