Chicken Soup For the Soul....and Tummy Too!

Mention chicken soup and images of home, comfort and curling up in front of a fireplace come to mind. It is also pretty easy to prepare and makes for a hearty one-pot meal. And best of all, my kids love me for making it for them! It's amazing how kids love the simplest things.


So, let's begin by gathering the following ingredients:

1 gallon (4 quarts) chicken stock/broth (here are details on how to make your own chicken stock)
3 chicken drumsticks, 2 chicken breasts
1 large onion (diced)
5 cloves garlic
5-6 ribs of celery (diced)
3 carrots (diced)
2 bay leaves
1 bunch parsley (rough chop)
2 teaspoons thyme (fresh or dried)
Salt & pepper to taste

Start by roasting the chicken drumsticks and breasts. Simply oil and season with salt and pepper and just thrown them into the oven for about 45 minutes at 350°F or until cooked. While the chicken is cooking, dice all your vegetables and start heating up the chicken stock. When the chicken is done, let it cool and start shredding the meat into a bowl. Do not throw away the liquid left behind on the roasting pan. You can use them to add even more flavor to your soup.

Start heating about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a stock pot. Sauté the onions until soft and then add the garlic, carrots and celery. Cook for another 2 minutes or so and then add the shredded chicken meat, bay leaves and thyme. Mix everything up in the pot well. Add the drippings from the roasting pan and mix again. Now you can add the heated up chicken stock to the pot. bring the pot to a boil and then lower it down  to a simmer for about 30-45 minutes Finally taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped parsley before serving.