Perfect healthy chicken soup !!!

[Alicatz66]

Hi .. inspired by a different thread I want to make some good chicken soup. If I get a really good quality chicken .. then have most of it as a roast on Sunday ... can anyone tell me how to make stock and then a lovely chicken soup please ? .. nothing creamy .. just chicken and veggies ?... I could look in a book but I like the wisdom of Mumsnet

The way I do it is.

Take off all the meat as possible, then I put the carcass in some water with onion (a couple) chopped and about 4 medium carrots chopped into about 1 inch bits. You can add celery but I don't like it. And bring to the boil and the simmer for a good 4 hours. Or I just throw it in to the slow cooker on low overnight.

Then when I make the soup I strain the stock (remember to put bowl under sieve to catch stock ) I the pick of the meat left that I can.

Then I lightly fry some more onion and carrots, add in the stock and cut up meat. I do add a chicken stock pot or a tsp of chicken bovril to boost the chicken flavour. And simmer for a couple of hours. Then I throw in some frozen mixed veg.

Depending on how I feel I may add some rice or pasta to it. I don't like creamy soups.

Remove the rest of the meat, break the carcass into pieces small enough for your pot.
I've usually got a sad carrot & floppy celery stick; wash, chop & add them & the tough green part of a leek.
None of these are essential, but they add flavour. A few peppercorns, cover with water.
I use a pressure cooker, about 20-30 minutes when up to pressure; probably about 3 hours in a saucepan.
Strain when ready, leave to cool down. There'll be a solid layer of fat that can be removed - I use it to fry eggs etc.

I sometimes make a sort of Vietnamese pho stock , by adding chillies , lemon grass, star anise, cinnamon stick.

As for the soup, whatever takes your fancy.

Use the meat but don’t pick the carcass clean. Place carcass in pot. I add onion ends, celery, bay leaves, salt, pepper, sometimes a few cardamom pods. Cover with water, remembering that too much will result in watery stock. Bring to a boil then simmer for at least an hour. Remove bones and veg by straining through a colander. Pick off any chicken meat and add to stock. Allow to cool; I then refrigerate to allow fat to solidify. Skim fat. For the soup, slice up half a red onion, add chopped celery and carrot. Bring to boil then simmer. When the veg is cooked, I add tomato purée for colour and flavour and also pasta shapes (stellette is my preferred shape).

Thank you all .. I will give it a whirl at the weekend