It’s that time of year when bugs and germs seem to take hold and colds and snotty noses are everywhere…!! And if you haven’t been struck down with a sore throat, a cough or annoying runny nose, then maybe you’re just feeling a bit glum and in need of some comforting nourishment…??
Homemade chicken soup has been a ‘food for the sick’ for as long as I can remember and it’s what I make for my neighbours or friends if they’re feeling a bit under the weather. I have no idea why…it’s just one of those things, rather like the tradition of taking grapes to someone who is in hospital!!!
But heck…don’t wait until you are sick to make this. It’s easy, full of good stuff and is a hug in a bowl – perfect for cold wintry days or any day when you’re not feeling 100% and need a bit of a pick-me-up.
This is an adaption of my mum’s recipe. She used to add a can of creamed soup to hers, but I don’t think it’s necessary (plus I don’t like what’s in the canned soup….)!! The base is good old chicken stock, homemade of course. So, next time you’re wondering what to do with leftover roast chicken it’s the perfect time to give this recipe a try.
So here it is, my recipe for Homemade Chicken Soup for the Soul
First the Chicken Stock
Ingredients
A chicken carcass stripped of meat*
2 Carrots
2 Onions
2 Bay leaves, folded a few times to release the flavor
5 whole black peppercorns
*I simply use the bones that are left after I’ve stripped off most of the meat from a chicken I’ve roasted.
1. Put your chicken carcass into a big pot.
2. Roughly chop your carrots (use the whole carrot including the ends) and cut your onions into wedges (including the skin). Add these to your pot along with the bay and peppercorns.
3. Cover the whole lot with cold water making sure you’ve added plenty (I usually add at least 2L).
4. Place on the stove and bring to the boil.
5. Cover and simmer gently for a minimum of 2 hours. I like to give it as long as possible, anything up to 5 hours, but if you leave it for this long, make sure it’s on a very low simmer so you don’t lose too much liquid.
6. Strain the stock through a colander or sieve. Makes approximately 2 litres of delicious stock.
Now the Homemade Chicken Soup
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Carrots
2 Onions
2 Sticks Celery
Sea Salt
2L Chicken Stock
1 1/2 Cups Pearl Barley
Leftover chicken meat
3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley
1. In your big stock pot, heat the olive oil.
2. Finely chop the carrots, onions and celery and add these to the oil with a pinch of sea salt.
3. Fry the vegetables over a very low heat for 20 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally and don’t let them burn.
4. Add your barley to the pan and stir everything together so the barley gets a good coating of oil.
5. Then add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently without the lid for 30 minutes until the barley is cooked. It should be soft yet chewy – not hard at all.
6. Add your shredded chicken meat. You can add as much of the meat as you want to – I normally add whatever is left which is sometimes very little……
7. Season the soup with salt and pepper and stir through the parsley.
This homemade chicken soup is fabulous on its own but if you need to make a meal of it, some fresh bread is a lovely accompaniment. I served mine with some homemade soda bread….. sooooo good.
