Soup: It's my jam
I'm writing this post from the comfort of my couch, with a mug of tea and a box of tissues as I battle the remnants of a crappy cold. Ahhh, tis the season! Since I'm feeling yucky, but I'm not dying, I summoned enough energy to make some homemade chicken soup. I am a firm believer in the healing powers of soup, and over the years I've nailed down some easy recipes that I can whip up pretty quickly. Thought I'd share what I made today.
First and foremost: good soup benefits from homemade stock. I am constantly filling our freezer with stocks so I always have some on hand. Veggie, turkey, chicken and beef stocks take up a big portion of our freezer. (We have a second fridge in our basement which goes a long way in helping with meal prep/planning)
VEGGIE STOCK
I keep a gallon sized bag full of veggie scraps in the freezer at all times. Whenever I chop veggies, I put all of the leftover bits in the bag and when the bag is full, I can make stock. It is the perfect amount to make 2 quarts of stock. Just put the scraps, still frozen, in a big stock pot and cover them with water. Add one bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least 2 hours, making sure that the veggies are covered with water the whole time. After 2 hours (you can go longer if you want) turn off the heat and let it cool. Strain the liquid, throw away the scraps and you've got veggie stock. You can keep it in the freezer for months!
MEAT STOCK (Chicken, turkey, beef)
Bones! Save your bones! I usually have more chicken stock than any of the others because we eat it more frequently than turkey or beef, but the premise is the same. Keep the bones and scraps, cover with water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. For chicken or turkey I add a bay leaf, salt and pepper and thyme. For beef I just add a pinch of salt and pepper. With bones it helps to also have all that fat and weird bits because they add so much flavor to the stock. I like to let this simmer for 2-3 hours if possible. Strain the liquid and freeze.
CHICKEN RICE SOUP
Man, this is one of my most favorite soups ever, partly because my mom made it all the time and hers is just perfection. So nostalgic for me! Ok, there are a couple of ways to do this: the long way and the shortcut way. The big difference is when you roast the chicken. In the long way you roast the chicken and make the soup in the same day. In the shortcut way you pull the ready made stock out of the freezer and use boneless, skinless chicken pieces. You can use any part of the chicken you prefer. This soup is easy, rustic comfort food.
2 cups cubed chicken
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup rice
Brown the chicken in a large pot with 1 tablespoon olive oil, about 3-4 mins. Add veggies and spices, cook until they start to soften and you can smell the spices. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add rice. Simmer for 20 minutes until rice is cooked. Done!
First and foremost: good soup benefits from homemade stock. I am constantly filling our freezer with stocks so I always have some on hand. Veggie, turkey, chicken and beef stocks take up a big portion of our freezer. (We have a second fridge in our basement which goes a long way in helping with meal prep/planning)
VEGGIE STOCK
I keep a gallon sized bag full of veggie scraps in the freezer at all times. Whenever I chop veggies, I put all of the leftover bits in the bag and when the bag is full, I can make stock. It is the perfect amount to make 2 quarts of stock. Just put the scraps, still frozen, in a big stock pot and cover them with water. Add one bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least 2 hours, making sure that the veggies are covered with water the whole time. After 2 hours (you can go longer if you want) turn off the heat and let it cool. Strain the liquid, throw away the scraps and you've got veggie stock. You can keep it in the freezer for months!
MEAT STOCK (Chicken, turkey, beef)
Bones! Save your bones! I usually have more chicken stock than any of the others because we eat it more frequently than turkey or beef, but the premise is the same. Keep the bones and scraps, cover with water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. For chicken or turkey I add a bay leaf, salt and pepper and thyme. For beef I just add a pinch of salt and pepper. With bones it helps to also have all that fat and weird bits because they add so much flavor to the stock. I like to let this simmer for 2-3 hours if possible. Strain the liquid and freeze.
CHICKEN RICE SOUP
Man, this is one of my most favorite soups ever, partly because my mom made it all the time and hers is just perfection. So nostalgic for me! Ok, there are a couple of ways to do this: the long way and the shortcut way. The big difference is when you roast the chicken. In the long way you roast the chicken and make the soup in the same day. In the shortcut way you pull the ready made stock out of the freezer and use boneless, skinless chicken pieces. You can use any part of the chicken you prefer. This soup is easy, rustic comfort food.
2 cups cubed chicken
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup rice
Brown the chicken in a large pot with 1 tablespoon olive oil, about 3-4 mins. Add veggies and spices, cook until they start to soften and you can smell the spices. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add rice. Simmer for 20 minutes until rice is cooked. Done!
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