This is basically the chicken soup I have been making for years and love. The vegetables and fresh herbs listed in the recipe are usually what is in supermarket "soup mix vegetables" packages here in the U.S. northeast. To reduce the fat I do use skin-on bone-in split chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. There is still some fat under the skin necessary to hold the flavors. To keep the vegetables from becoming flavorless mush I cut them bite-sized but don't add them until 20 minutes before the soup is done and don't puree them. I add the herbs in the last few minutes. My experience is that the split breasts are done and tender after 40 minutes of simmering. So I start the breasts around 20 minutes before the vegetables in lightly salted boiling water w/ a couple of teaspoons of cider vinegar to draw some of the calcium and gelatin from the bones and skin into the broth which enriches it then sprinkle in the black pepper. Personally while I love all the other vegetables in this recipe especially the parsnip I find turnip tends to overwhelm the other flavors so I don't use it. The turnip that comes in the soup vegetable package is delicious mashed into mashed potatoes though.
We thought this was soooooo good! However I didn't not use a food processer and left my veggies cut up instead it was really great soup. Thanks for the recipe. The 2nd time I made it I took advice from Marta and tried adding cream cheese. I found it totally changed the taste of the soup and not for the better. Keep the recipe as it is and you won't go wrong. My family and neighbors love this soup because its sooooooooo awesome!!
This is such a comforting wholesome soup. Don't leave out thing. Very good flavor. It is also nice with a block of cream cheese added to richen it up a bit.
This was a very good soup. My bf had been craving chicken soup for a while. I think this hit the spot! I did add some homemade Amish egg noodles to make it more filling and it may not have to be on the stove for the full two hours the chicken fell apart before I could get it out of the pot. I will make this again! Thanks for sharing!
My grandmother always made the best chicken soup. Whenever I made it I couldn't quite get it right it was always missing something...until I found this recipe. This is the best chicken soup!!! Thanks for posting it!!!!!!
I came down with a horrible flue a little while ago as did my girlfriend. This was the favourite recipe for chicken soup i found here and was a huge hit - nursed us both back to health - lasted about 3 days only change i made was an extra leek - oh and i couldn't fid a bird over 3kg - but the 2.6kg on i found made it plenty meaty. Never tried the noodles etc - just good old crusty bread and it was fantastic - in fact about to make it again only 23 weeks later.
The taste of some of the vegetables i.e. parsnip turnip overpowered the chicken flavor. It certainly tasted "healthy". I will probably make this only when I'm really sick with the cold/flu. If you're looking for clear/light broth-based chicken soup this isn't it.
The flavors in this soup are divine. We did this differently (partly by planning to and partly by misreading the directions me thinks...). Anyway I cooked a whole chicken in water only (overnight when the night was short anyway). Then I pulled out the chicken to cool turning the slow cooker up onto high. After deboning the meat I returned the bones to the crockpot with some vinegar S&P to taste. By noon time I pulled out the bones and put in the veggies on high to cook throughout the afternoon. When the veggies were tender I didn't only process the veggies with my blender wand I actually misread and 'trusted' the misreading so I blended the chicken into the soup at the same time. The expressions on my family's faces were dubious and they expected to be reaching for the means to make PBJ's (doesn't happen often but when one of my experiments doesn't work out that's the agreed upon default....) anyway when we sat down to eat the soup with salad and nice bread rolls they were astounded with how yummy and filling and how down-right comfort-food this turned out to be. Sorry for misunderstanding... well sort of and thanks for sharing Angchick because this 'new' type of chicken soup really is comfort food and I'm so excited that it's getting to be fall again so I can make this again. just picked up turnips and parsnips at the store this week and had to share! Thanks again!
I make chicken soup at least every other week but this is the first time I have ever used a whole chicken instead of breasts and the first time I have used turnips and leeks. I am now a whole chicken-in-soups convert and the turnips and leeks made this seem really special. We will definitely make this recipe again!
When I tated the soup after following the recipe it was only 3 stars. After a bit of enhancement it was 5 star. I added a couple of teaspoons of chicken base and added soup pasta. The broth was wonderful! I will use this recipe from now on and add soup base pasta and chopped vegetables for more flavor and interest.
