your best chicken soup recipe please - nowt fancy mind!

[ohbugrit]

I have a carcase to use up :)

Break up the carcass, pop in a large pan with...

a couple of whole carrots
a peeled whole onion
some fresh parsley
a celery stick or two if you have any
and some chicken stock (cube, liquid, whatever you have).

Cover with hot water and simmer for as long as you can. (The longer the better). Every now and then skim the fat off the top then top up the water.

Sieve to remove all the bones and veg and put the liquid back in the pan. Chop up the carrot into small pieces and add to it. You can also add some leftover chicken pieces and vermicelli (or spaghetti broken into tiny pieces). Season to taste. Tastes best if chilled and then reheated the next day.

Courgettes as well are good. I wouldn't bother straining the veg out though (each to their own!)

Otherwise exactly the same. I love eating the onion! I'm guessing from your username that's a Jewish chicken soup recipe? I much prefer that to the cream of version.

yep proper jewish penicillin. (well my attempt at it!) Cures anything and it's high in protein and low in fat.

Having made bit pot of stock, I would use this as basis to start again with fresher veg. So having strained the stock I then add chopped onion, carrots, celery, parsnip and half cup (or full cup if you have a lot of stock) of red split lentils. I would also add veg stock cube or two. Simmer until veg tender and lentils cooked. You could then add some spaghetti broken into small pieces if you want a very hearty filling soup.

These are fab, thank you.

A whole small chicken in a large pot of water with salt, pepper, bay leaf. Simmer until legs start falling off. Remove chicken and keep for later. I don't skim the fat, it's tasty. Sometimes I will add a chicken stock cube if it doesn't taste chickeny enough.
Add 1 chopped onion, 6 large carrots, 1 chopped leek. Once veg is softened, squash the carrots with a fork and return to pan. Add a cup of uncooked rice.
Once the rice is cooked, add the shredded chicken meat and a large handful of chopped parsley.
This is a meal in itself. It will also put hairs on your chest according to my Granny.

ohbugrit - that's more or less how I do it. I also use garlic and leave the skin on a big onion (obviously discard before serving) as it helps the colour of the soup. Rice is nicer than dumplings imho.