any good recipies for chicken soup?

[Maki]

does any one have any good recipies for heart warming chicken soup/broth? ... uncomplicated and easy to make. Oh, ideally no diary produce, as we are allergic!

Funnily enough my daughter is ill at the moment and I've just made chicken soup today with leftovers from our roast chicken last night. This is how I went: chop up a red onion and fry gently, until soft, in a large saucepan in a little butter (you could use olive oil, etc), then add some bacon (about 2 rashers), sundried tomatoes (not really necessary but I bunged a couple in), your already cooked chicken, I then added our leftover sprouts and cauliflower cheese but not really necessary, then add about a pint of chicken stock (I used a couple of oxo cubes!) and boil altogether for about 20 mins or so. I forgot but you could bung in some herbs like thyme near the end to give it a bit more taste. I then blitzed it all in the food processor but only as daughter has a sore throat so went down a little easier else I would probably keep it 'whole', all this made enough for her 2 adults and a bit left over. Hope this helps?!

I use a BIG pot and fill it half full or so with water (you can always add more after you've added the ingredients if there's space). I put my vegetables in halved or quartered as I'm too lazy to chop them up and they sort of break up as the soup gets cooked. I put in a whole uncooked chicken, a couple of red onions, 3 or 4 carrots (peeled), 3 or 4 sticks of celery, 3 or 4 parsnips (make the soup really nice and sweet) and sometimes some mustard greens if I have any handy. I also put in fresh rosemary, chopped up parsley, thyme, basil (if I have any) and LOTS of whole garlic cloves. Salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes if I remember I add a chicken stock cube (Kallo Organic don't have MSG). I then boil it forever or until I remember that I forgot to turn the stove off. I then let the soup cool to room temperature and take out the whole chicken (use a couple of big spoons) and debone it. I put the meat back in and bring the soup to a boil again to make sure it's sterile before freezing it. I try to make it when I'm well, so I have it handy in the freezer when I'm not (and don't feel like making it).
ps this is a good jewish/catholic/italian recipe

Have been watching this thread with interest as have been craving a good bowl of the same for the past day or so! Must be the miserable weather - thanks SA - should have known you'd come through!

Go to your butcher and ask for a 'boiling fowl', they should be able to get you one, its an older chicken and it makes THE MOST delicious soup.

Anyone else got a chicken soup recipe with quantities (I want something that feeds 2 adults and 2 children). Im going to roast a small chicken tommorrow and will have some leftovers. I dont have any celery in the house, but have onions, carrots and chicken stock, garlic oh and a little cream...is this enough. looked on a few websites but cant find what I want.

i do basically the same as sofia except i take the chicken out after an hour/an hour and a quarter and take the meat off the bone and put the bones back in (think it keeps the meat moist and makes sure all the goodness comes out of the bones) and carry on simmering forever (like a couple more hours). then i shred some of the meat into a bowl, and ladel soup and veg into it. keep rest of meat in fridge and do this over a couple of days adding veg eg potatoes to the soup, always bring soup (with bones but no meat in it) to boil and then simmer for a bit, usually add more water as it goes down to a bit of a jelly after the first time it is cooled down.

will try sofia's way as it may be nicer tho!