It is fall, guess what is time to stock up in the freezer?

It is Chicken Soup Season.  Yes, my fearless readers fall is upon us and that means cold and flu season is not too far off.


This leads to the need of the ultimate elixir that cures colds and nourishes the soul when not feeling up to snuff.







Now, I know there are a few options to find chicken soup in a pinch.  Ordering in, from the local Chinese restaurant or deli, may work in a pinch.  But, it doesn't replace the warmth from homemade soup.   And, with a little thought you can have some in the freezer waiting for friends and family when they catch what you had!

You may think making chicken soup requires a Julia Child degree, or detailed culinary skills.  I say not.  It is actually one of the easiest things to do, and since it also includes great tasting chicken you can't go wrong.

That is if you follow a few simple pointers to start with:

1) Make it the best chicken you can find.  A nice organic or kosher bird will make the best soup.  It may seam obvious, but it is true.  The better the chicken the less cleaning and the better your end soup will be.

2) Consider brining the chicken.  It will impart flavor into the chicken, and honest the chicken meat holds up better and will be tastier in the soup.  Since koshering is basically salting the chicken (Want to know why, that is why Google was created!) so it is a simple replacement for brining if you can find a good kosher chicken.

Honest, other than following a good recipe of which there are many, the rest of this is pretty simple.

I am sharing mine, which frankly started years ago from the Empire Kosher Chicken site, and has evolved some.  But, I bet a few drumsticks that you can do this also and just the nice smell as people and critters walk in your home will let you know this was a good idea.

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs whole chicken
1 Onion halved but not peeled. (The skin adds some color to the soup).
5 Large Carrots.  (Cut into large pieces.  You slice smaller after the soup is done.).
2 Stalks Celery
2 parsnips (cut into pieces)
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Step 1:  Wash the chicken.  Whether it is brined or not, wash and dry the chicken.  Then I brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper inside and out.







Step 2: Chop the herbs.  Slice the onion in half. Cut up the carrots, celery, and parsnips into large pieces.  I end up saving the carrots to put back in the soup, but they hold up better in larger pieces. (I slice them into bite sized pieces) when I put them back into the soup)









Step 3:  Spread the the herbs on and inside the chicken.

Step 4:  Add the cut up onion inside the chicken.












Step 5:  Add 1/2 of the carrots, celery, and parsnips to the bottom of the pot.

Step 6:  Add the chicken, to the pot, and the rest of the vegetables.


Step 7:  Add water to the pot to cover the chicken, and salt and pepper to taste.  Remember if you brined the chicken there will still be some salt after rinsing.







Step 8:  Bring water to a boil, and skim off any of the foam, and then turn down to a simmer.

Step 9:  Simmer for two hours, until the chicken is falling off the bones.









Step 10: Take the chicken out of the pot.. 

Step 11: Either take a second pot or large bowl, and add a colander and pour the soup into the bowl.


Step 12: Take the carrots out of the colander and slice the carrots, and add back to the soup.

Step 13: Add the cut up chicken back to the pot, and the soup is ready for you, family and guests.





You can serve, as is, or add matzo balls or noodles.  Divide up to freeze some so you are ready for the first cold or neighbor who is not feeling well.