Homemade Soups

Homemade soup can be fun to make.

Nothing says home cooking like a good homemade soup. The process is a bit time-consuming, but not really difficult . With a good pot, a soup ladle and ingredients---sometimes leftovers will do---you are good to go. The resulting soup will provide a flavorful meal that is sure to be appreciated. A hearty homemade chicken soup makes for a stick-to-the-ribs meal when served with a chunk of crusty bread or challah.

Things You'll Need

• Stock pot
• Ladle
• Chicken parts on the bone
• 1 whole chicken
• 2 stalks of celery with leafy tops
• 1 large unpeeled onion
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of pepper
• 1 bunch of dill, tied with string (optional)

Instructions

The Stock

1. Place chicken parts, celery and 12 cups of water in a large stock pot and heat to a boil. Season the whole chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the stockpot. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Use a fork to see if the chicken is completely cooked. It will be tender when done. Remove the whole chicken from the pot and set it aside for later. Leave the chicken parts in the stockpot.

2. Add the whole, unpeeled onion, sliced carrots, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the soup for another hour and 15 minutes.

3. Remove the meat from the whole chicken when it is cool and cut it into pieces. Discard the skin and bones. Set the chicken pieces aside.

4. Strain the soup and discard the onion and chicken parts. Drop the dill into the soup for just a minute for flavoring and then remove it.

5. Refrigerate the soup so that the fat rises to the top. Discard the fat.

6. Add the cut up chicken pieces to the soup and add additional ingredients according to your preferences. Rice, noodles, dumplings, barley or traditional Jewish matzo balls are popular favorites.

7. Taste the soup before serving, and add seasonings to taste.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are short on time but still want to make a homemade soup, you may buy chicken stock and save the hours required to make homemade stock.

• If the soup seems thin or if you want more flavor, try adding a seasoned bouillon cube or two to your soup.

• Don't be afraid to vary quantities and experiment with additional ingredients. You may come up with a recipe all your own that you like even better than tried and true traditional recipes.

• The soup will taste better if left to sit for a day or two, so that the flavors meld.

• Make sure you have all the required ingredients and enough time to cook before you begin to make the soup.

• Taste the soup to see if it is too salty. If it is, put in a peeled potato cut in half and allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes; then remove the potato. That should remove the salt.

References

• Homemade Soup Recipes: The Elements of Soup
• Food Network: Chicken Soup Recipe Bobby Flay