If you know my family at all, you’ll know that soup is a big deal. We. Love. Soup.
I am quite sure I am not the only one of my sisters who would quite willingly eat soup multiple times per day. We also use soup to describe things. When I lived at home, we had soupy days. You know those days that are grey, and damp, and if you live around Vancouver, you know how the day manages to be wet, dark, and to-the-bone chilly? Well, that, is definitely a soupy day, and on those days, nothing will taste better.
I love my family, and I love soup, and if you want to put a smile on our faces, invite us for soup… and scones and muffins too :).
This chicken soup recipe is one of our family favourites and is the best served with people you love. It was always a big deal in our family when chicken soup was being made. One of us got to sit on the floor with the gigantic soup pan, while my Mom passed us the stock veggies, the peppercorns, and the spices, and we plunked them in feeling a lot like iron chefs.
How old were we, you ask? Hmmm, when was the last time I made soup?
I kid. Now I can reach the stove top.
You can add veggies to your heart’s content, and you can make it as plain as you like, so even your pickiest eaters will gobble it up. As you can see by the pictures, I have mine super basic, because I love raw veggies, but have yet to fall in love with the cooked ones. Plus, I figure all the vitamins are leached from the veggies when creating the stock anyway.
Right?
So, make sure on the next soupy day you cuddle up and enjoy a mug of my very favourite Chicken Noodle Soup. Delish.
- 1 chicken or turkey carcass*
- 1 large onion, cut in half
- 2 carrots, cut in large chunks
- 2 stalks celery, cut in large chunks
- About 10 whole peppercorns
- 1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
- Add everything to large stock pan along with 14 cups of water. (This allows for some water to evaporate and still give you enough stock for 12 cups.) Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours. Remove carcass and strain stock through colander into large bowl. Return 12 cups of stock to pan. Add chopped meat from carcass, bring back to boil and add chicken stock (oxo, or I use a great gluten-free one, available at most grocery stores). Add your noodles of choice (gluten free or regular), and cook for the approximate cooking time required by the noodles. If you have a package of Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup handy, add that too for extra flavour. Salt to taste.
- Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. If freezing, avoid adding noodles until reheating to serve.
So much better than that canned stuff! :)
I recently read, somewhere, that we should eat chicken soup every day! Supposed to be so-o good for us.
We are big soup lovers here too, I think we have chicken noodle the most, and I love the shells. Much easier to eat as soup.
I love that you’ve posted such a comforting soup over the Thanksgiving weekend. I could so tuck into a bowl of your soup right now;-)
I would definitely add some dried thyme (leaves, not powder) and finely chopped fresh parsley if you have it. Add the thyme to the stock mix as well as some after if you think it needs it. Makes it so yummy :)