Grandmother’s Chicken Soup

Ingredients

Yield:

12

• • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 small head of celery, ¼” diced
  • 2 medium sized onions, ¼” diced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and ¼” diced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of dry thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns
  • Chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: cooked rice or flat egg noodles

Preparation

Difficulty:

Easy

Time:

30 Minutes

Total Time:

2 Hours

1. 1. 1. Find a 12 quart stock pot or approximate size.
   2. 2. Remove chicken from wrapping in which it came in. Wash under cold running water.
   3. 3. Season chicken with salt and pepper inside cavity and on the skin side too.
   4. 4. Place in pot (with head and feet on) and cover with cold water till there is approximately 3 inches of water covering chicken.
   5. 5. Turn heating element on approximately half way. Bring up to a slow simmer until bubbles slowly break the surface of the water.
   6. 6. Add the dry aromatics: bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and simmer for 1 and a half hours. If there is a substantial amount of evaporation, or the chicken breaks the surface of the water, add more cold water.
   7. 7. While the chicken is cooking, clean and dice celery, carrots and onions to ¼” size.
   8. 8. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot once time has passed. It will come apart in pieces, so don’t fret. After it has cooled down to handle, pick the meat from the bone. Discard the skin.
   9. 9. Add the diced vegetables and the reserved chicken meat into the pot. Cook another 5-10 minutes on slow heat.
   10. 10. Now it is time to taste and season to your liking. A little fat on top is okay.
   11. 11. Add cooked rice or an egg noodle if you want added texture, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.