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Chicken Soup Recipe
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Chicken Soup Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 whole chicken breasts removed and reserved*
  • 2 onions
  • 2 quarts boiling water
  • salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
  • ground pepper

Instructions

  • Dice the onion. Peel the carrots and cut them and the celery into ¼ to ½ inch pieces, then mince the fresh parsley leaves.
  • Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot and sauté the breasts until they are light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the breasts and set them aside.
  • Add half the onions and sauté until translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  • Cut up the remaining chicken parts (not the breasts) into small pieces to allow them to release their juices in the shortest time possible.
    This is the hardest part of the recipe. If you have a meat cleaver, it makes the job easier, but if you don't, do the best you can with a chef's knife.
  • Add the pieces to the pot, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until no longer pink.
  • Return the onion to the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.
  • Add boiling water, reserved chicken breasts, two teaspoons salt, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer until chicken breasts are cooked, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat if necessary.
  • Remove chicken breasts and set aside.
  • Strain and reserve broth. Skim fat from the broth, reserving two tablespoons for cooking the vegetables.
  • Add the reserved fat to the soup pot and sauté the remaining onions, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes.
  • Remove and discard the skin and bones when the chicken breasts are cool enough to handle.
  • Shred the breast meat into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Add thyme and reserved broth; simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  • Season with salt and pepper, add parsley and serve. You can add noodles, orzo, or small pasta shells and cook until tender.

Notes

*You could use the breast meat in this soup recipe but I prefer to cook them separately in another recipe. If you do use them wait until the soup is almost finished and then add them back to the pot until they are cooked through. Should only take about 8 to 10 minutes.