How do I make chicken and vegetable soup?

[JennyPenny22]

I have never made a soup before . But I would like to start making some instead of using tins.

Have never even made stock .

Can somebody talk me through it? I am a bit rubbish with knowing what to do so step by step would be great!

Thank you so much in advance!

Something like this ??

There is also a video tutorial on the page.

Dont worry about making the stock unless you have a chicken carcass to use up. Just use stock cubes

I saw this recipe on a link here and made it last night. Very tasty!

Do you want a creamy / thick soup, a broth or a smooth soup?

I make chicken vegetable soup, its more like an irish broth, and you can cheat if you have no stock made (you can also make it with a lamb or ham shank)

If you've no stock
just make some up with a stock cube

I boil the carcus of my roast chicken for my stock (or you could boil up chicken dumsticks thighs etc if your prepared to fiddle and get all the chicken off after)

need some soup veg mix (barley etc)
couple of chicken breasts cut up
chicken stock
leeks
celery
parsley
carrots

And just bring it to the boil and let it simmer away for at least a couple of hours

season to taste
you can vary the vegetables you put in

What type of chicken soup and vegetable soup?

You don't necessarily need to make a stock for soup, I never bother unless it is a very thin broth of a soup that relies on the sublte flavours of the stock (like Japanese soups).

Here's a simple vegetable soup:

Finely chop an oinon or two and some sticks oof celery.

Grate a potato and lots of carrots, and cube some swede and/or butternut squash/caugettes/pumpkin etc

The combination of veg isn't too important, but don't add too much potato or it could end up too starchy and grainy. Other veg could include peppers, peas, spinach, or more wintery root veg like swede, turnip, sweet potatoes. Once you've got the basic recipe you can adapt the ingredients for your own favourite flavours.

Begin by sauteeing the onion in your soup pot until it is soft and transparant, over a low heat.

Once you're sure the onion is soft and not crunchy, add all the other veg, plus cruched garlic if you like, or a few bay leaves or a bouquet garni, stir all the ingredients so they are covered in a fine layer of the oil (olive oil or butter form the onion sauteeing).

Turn the heat down low, put a lid on the pot and let all the veg 'sweat' for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until they are soft and the juices and coming out and it all smells heavenly.

Then, add lots of freshly boiled water to the pot to bring it up to the quantity you want, pop the lid back on and simmer for at least 30 minutes until all the veg are soft.

If you want to use milk or cream, add a little less water to begin with. The milk or cream shouldn't be added till the end.

Instead of water you can use stick if you already have any, or just throw a chicken carcass into it while cooking if you have one to hand (and fish it out at end).

Season to taste, add fresh herbs once cooked if you want, blend it for a smooth soup, leave it for a textures one, or )my favourite) blend half, leave the other half textures. Then if you want it to have chicken in it add flaked up cooked chicken (leftover roast).

Chopped up ham or cooked bacon also nice to add at end.

I make my broth soup just like PlumBum.

I make a thin chicken soup that my children love. It is easy (if you have a handblender, which i think most mothers who have been through the weaning stage have).

Put some chicken (breast or drumsticks or whole) into saucepan.Cover with water. peel a couple of carrots and an onion and some garlic cloves and put them in whole. add a chicken stock cube. You can dissolve it first if you like but I don't bother. Add a little salt and white pepper (or ground black pepper. Add a bay leaf if you have one. Add either a third of a cabbage or a couple of the white parts of a leek or three sticks of celery. Don't bother to chop anything. Then just simmer away for about an hour.
After an hour lift out the chicken onto a plate and use the handblender to puree the rest in the pot. Then shop the chcken up with a knife and fork and put it back in the pot. if your children like pasta add a little pasta - as small as you can find (no bigger than macaroni though). Cook for another few minutes until the pasta is done and serve.
My children won't eat anything green, hence the need to avoid green vegetables.

It only takes about five minutes to prepare and about an hour to cook and yo can freeze it in portions and defrost whenever you need a to make a quick lunch.

I've got a really good soup book from Sophie Conran the other day - loads of soups and stews in family sized portions: www.amazon.co.uk/Sophie-Conrans-Soups-Stews-Conran/dp/0007279914

Definately recommend sweating the chopped veg ...potatoes/carrots/onions/leek etc... (low heat - lid on - tablespoon oil) with a little fresh rosemary is good. I don't add the garlic yet as it can burn and become bitter. After 10mins, add enough stock (Marigold powder is great) to cover the veg, plus garlic and dried herbs, simmer for 20-30 mins depending on how chunky the veg is. I prefer to blend mine and serve with hot bageutte with melted cheddar straight from the grill!

Thanks for all the help. Sorry I am so late to reply.

Can these be adapted to go in the slow cooker?

Quinne - when you say about a whole chicken - do you mean put in the entire thing, bones, body, meat etc all in with the veg? I have 2 whole chickens in my fridge, both very small ones that I bought today (didn't buy specifically for soup just because they were the perfect size for us!).

I also have bought some asparagus to try, would this be nice added or not? I only really bought it as it was on offer and thought it would be good to try something new. Never eaten it before!

Oh and meant to say - I am aiming for a blended soup. I would ideally like a creamy soup but I am doing slimming world and want something I can eat as much as I like of, so no cream!

You need some chicken, and some vegetables