My Doctors Mamas Chicken Soup Recipes

MAMA'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Place chicken in an 8 quart stockpot. Add onion, celery, parsley, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
• Fill pot with water to cover by 2-3 inches. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam from surface.
• Simmer for 1 hour, checking to be sure soup is still simmering and to make sure level doesn't drop too low (if it does, add more cold water, bring back to simmer, and cook a little longer).
• Remove chicken from soup and let sit, covered, until cool enough to handle; continue simmering soup in the meantime.
• Remove meat from bones and return bones, skin, etc to soup. Refrigerate chicken meat.
• Continue simmering soup. Soup may be simmered for another 1/2 hour or so, or may be simmered for a few hours - the time at this point is quite flexible. Just keep checking the broth level now and then; add cold water and return to simmer if it drops too low.
• Taste and correct seasoning. Strain through a few layers of cheesecloth into a clean stockpot. Discard vegetables and bones. Keep broth hot while you prepare the desired starch.
• If using potatoes, peel and cube and simmer until tender. Place some potato chunks and chicken meat into bowls and ladle hot broth over.
• If using rice, cook rice according to package directions. Place some rice and chicken meat into bowls and ladle hot broth over.
• If using noodles, cook according to package directions and drain well. Place some noodles and chicken meat into bowls and ladle hot broth over.
• This soup may be defatted if you make it in advance, cool quickly in an ice bath, and chill in the refrigerator. Once chilled, the fat will solidify on the surface and may be skimmed off. At this point, the broth may be frozen for later use (with or without meat, and without potatoes or rice), or it may be heated and served.

MY MOTHER'S CHICKEN ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water; place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add chicken, return to a boil, skimming off any foam that has accumulated at the top. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, uncovered, for 2 hours.
• Add celery, carrots, onion, parsnip, dill, and parsley. Continue cooking slowly, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• Set a strainer over a large bowl and strain soup; discard solids. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• Remove the layer of fat that has formed on top of the soup overnight and discard. Place soup in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Just before serving, add escarole and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.

MY DOCTOR'S MAMA'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Put chicken, onions, 2 unpeeled carrots, 2 celery stalks, turnip, garlic and bay leaf in a large soup pot. Fill with water to within two inches of top of pot and cover. ( I use a big soup pot, like a 15qt. If you like stronger soup, use a smaller pot.) Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered, for 2 hours. Occasionally skim the froth as it develops on the surface and discard.
• Remove from heat. Place a colander in another pot big enough to contain the stock. Pour soup through the colander into the second pot. Remove colander to separate stock from vegetables and chicken pieces.
• Pour the stock back into the pot. Let cool and then refrigerate stock several hours to overnight. Meanwhile, remove chicken from the bone, tear into edible pieces and set aside. Discard vegetables and bones.
• Remove and discard congealed fat from the surface of the refrigerated stock. Place the pot of stock over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and add salt, pepper, dill and sugar. Simmer about 30 minutes. Add sugar and wine, simmer another 10 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat enough to keep soup hot, add reserved chicken. Can add matzo balls or egg noodles as desired.
• Can be frozen before adding matzo or noodles if desired.

MOTHER-IN-LAW CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse chicken and place into a large stockpot. Add broth and water to cover. Put in the onion, celery stalk and carrot. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is falling off the bones, about 45 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Discard onion, celery and carrot. Add rice and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is tender. Separate the chicken meat from the bones and skin. Shred and return to the pot. Serve hot with corn bread and salad.

GRANDMA'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Clean chicken and remove some, but not all, fat. Place in a 2-quart soup pot with carrots, celery, tomatoes, and onion. Tie all dill sprigs into a bunch with kitchen string; add to the pot with salt and pepper. Add water until chicken is covered by 2 inches.
• Cook over medium-low heat until chicken is just about cooked through, about 3 hours. Remove chicken to a platter and allow to cool slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut meat off the bones, place meat back into the pot, and discard the bones. Cook over medium-low heat until heated through, about 30 minutes longer. Remove dill before serving.