Tuesday, April 30

Nothing beats homemade chicken and vegetable soup

My rather awesome and totally pinworthy (hint hint)
Chicken and Vegetable Soup
In this house when we start to get sick the first thing we do is eat. Nothing particularly special, just standard good whole foods. Generally lots of fruit like strawberries, oranges, and kiwi fruit are consumed during the day. When it comes to dinner, there is one fail safe that I always turn to and that is my homemade chicken and vegetable soup.

Some days when I make it I go all out and even make my own stock before I make the soup. Other days I cheat and just use a lovely box of pre-made stock. Today I am going to share with you the whole process, including the stock making. (Excited much?)



Chicken & Vegetable Soup
with homemade stock

Ingredients - stock
2kg chicken necks
leaves and tips from 1 bunch of celery
2 carrots
vegetable peelings from soup vegetables
2 onions or 1 leek
4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf (optional I often don't use them but I know others that love them)

Ingredients - soup
2 turnips
2 swedes
4 carrots (my kids are a bit carrot crazy)
3 garlic cloves
1 celery stick
stock (either homemade or pre bought about 4-6 cups)
2 chicken breasts
optional extras - parsnip, pumpkin, potato, brocoli or any other veg that takes your fancy, pasta/noodles

Method - stock
Place all ingredients in a large pot (preferably with a strainer inside it see photo below, there is probably some technical name for this kind of pot but I don't know it). Veggies only need to be roughly chopped. No need to peel. This includes the onions, though if using leeks still give them a good wash as they are generally full of dirt. 

Just a side note on the vegetable peels. I actually peel all my other vegetables for the soup in advance, cover them with some water and throw the peels in the pot. 

Cover with water and bring to the boil. Gently simmer for a few hours. I like to give mine a bit of a stir and mash every now and then, just to make sure all the goodness of the juices get squished out.
My awesome pot with insert
Perfect for making stock and soup 

If you are like me and have one of these super cool pot inserts, separating the liquid from the other stuff is as easy as eating ice-cream. 

If however you don't, you need to find yourself a super large sieve. 

If you are after a particularly clear stock then you need to find the sieve and a new chux cloth and pour the liquid through the chux lined strainer. 

Not that I have ever actually done this, but I have heard that it is what all the top chefs do when they want to make a liquid clearer. In our house thankfully no one is particularly fussed on how clear their soup is.

Stock with celery and garlic
Method - Soup
Dice all vegetables to about 1-1.5cm square. If you are adding broccoli leave out till 5 minutes before cooking other wise it will just become mush.

Place in pot and cover with stock.

Gently simmer for an hour.

Add finely diced chicken. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

If adding noodles or pasta they can either be cooked in the pot with the soup (saves on washing) or cooked separately and added when serving. Just check the cooking times on packet and add to pot that long before you want to serve.

Full of nature's goodness


 It's Tuesday and I have blogged which means I am joining Jess and the gang for IBOT.
You should too!


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25 comments:

  1. Rhianna, that looks so delicious! So much colour and obviously full of goodness, yum!
    xx

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    1. Thanks Lisa, it was super delicious, and enough left over for lunch. Double win!

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  2. oh that looks yummy!!! I havent made stock in ages!!! With the cold weather approaching I might have to!! Yum!!! Great recipe!!!

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    1. Yes so great for cold weather. I am actually thinking of trying it in the slow cooker, and I know Gemma does her's in the pressure cooker to make it quicker

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  3. I am so creating a "recipes" bookmarks folder and adding this!

    I have been asked on more than a couple of times - read uncountable - to make soup. REAL soup. Due to my intense hate of cooking I have avoided it. But I think I might give this a go!

    Thanks Rhi!

    MC x

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    Replies
    1. What a good idea with the bookmarks, or you could create a Pinterest board for recipes and Pin it there! Soups is so easy to make, just cut and simmer. Easy. And failing that just blend it! I did a pumpkin soup last week. Oh so yummy. I used bought stock to boil the pumpkin in but I could have used this stock (if I had it)

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  4. That looks so yum! I have a sick little boy at the moment. If only he would eat Chicken soup!

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    1. Mine sometimes just drink the liquid Annaleis, I put it in a coffee cup for them and they think it is quite the treat. Alternatively if you had a thick straw offer them that to suck it up with.

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  5. That looks delicious! I like the strainer in the pot thingamy, I think I need one of those.
    xx

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Mrs BC, it sure was yummy. And the pot strainer is awesome, especially when cooking pasta. There is also another little basket that sits in the top. Best present I have ever been given actually though at the time I was less than impressed with it.

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  6. cough cough could you send me some!!

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    Replies
    1. Oh Ann I wish I could! Sending some fairy wishes and butterfly kisses though xx

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  7. I don't think I have ever made stock, wait....maybe when AJ was tiny and I was starting him on solids....this soup looks so delicious - which I could have a bowl for dinner tonight :)

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  8. Get in mah belleh!
    This week is a fast week, Holy Week for us, but I look forward to lots of soups as Sydney cools down for the winter. X

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  9. That looks YUMMO ! There is nothing like a good home made soup :) Thanks for sharing your recipe sweetie, I may just give this one a whirl xx

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  10. Oh that looks so delish!!! I'm not a huge souper but I'd love to be .... this could be the start of something wonderful xxx

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  11. I love that you use chicken necks. I'm all for using the whole animal - both to respect the animal and cause they are nice and cheap cuts - and soups are a great way to use parts that don't get used otherwise. My go-to when I am getting sick is fresh lemon & honey tea. And oranges, about 3kg of them.

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  12. I hope the yummo chicken soup has done it's job and that your girl is on the mend!

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  13. Oh shit now I have the guilts, best I make this for my boys who aren't well right now! Here's to a speedy recovery! Em x

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  14. Go you you awesome Domestic goddess you! I have never made chicken soup, but then don't really like soup so that is probably why!!

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  15. Yum! Nothing like a nice soup especially in winter! I'm glad you gave your recipe for stock. I never made stock but always wanted to try.

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  16. That would be so yummy. I decided this winter will be a soup winter at my house. I love brocoli too, I wish I had some right now. I have never made a stock myself but have wanted to give it a go.

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  17. Homemade soup is always a winner here! Way to go! :) xxx

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  18. I love chicken soup , even better with broccoli.

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  19. Love a good soup and that looks delicious !

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Fairy wishes and butterfly kisses to you, thanks for stopping by, it really means a lot, you taking the time so say hi. I try as much as I can to write a reply but if for some chance I don't get to it please know that I always read them.