Rainy day chicken soup

Warm up with some easy good for you chicken soup! Use the slow cooker to cook the chicken and make your broth. Finish the soup on the stove in less than 30 minutes.

This is a family favorite and healthy for you too. When it’s cold outside or you’re feeling a little under the weather – – warm up with this homemade chicken soup. Make this homemade chicken soup ahead of time and freeze portions. You’ll be grateful you did when you need a quick meal to defrost or suddenly come down with a cold or flu.

I make the broth and cook the chicken for this soup in the slow-cooker. The chicken turns out perfectly tender and the broth is rich in flavor and nutrients. The best part is that the slow-cooker is busy doing the work, while I’m out picking up the kids from school and taking them to activities. I finish off the soup on the stove when we get home and it’s ready in 30 minutes.

This recipe will make enough chicken soup for at least six people. You will have left-overs for a family of four. If you are cooking for a large group of people and will likely use the whole pot of soup in one meal, you can cook the pasta in the soup and serve immediately if desired. The starches from the pasta will likely cloud the soup somewhat. If you prefer a more clear broth, or have individuals who prefer gluten-free pasta options, keep the pasta you cook separate.

Here’s a tip:

1. When serving, add the cooked pasta into your soup bowl, then add the desired amount of soup.

2. Keeping the pasta separate helps keep the pasta from getting too water logged and soggy.

3. It also enables you to store or freeze left-over soup for a rainy day without having soggy bloated pasta suck up your delicious broth.

4. This soup is even better the next day and you can easily skim fat off it next day.

Rainy day chicken soup

Baby it’s cold outside! Warm up with some easy good for you chicken soup! Use the slow cooker to cook the chicken and make your broth. Finish the soup on the stove in less than 30 minutes.

Cooking the chicken and making the broth

1. 1/2 organic chicken (skin on, breast, leg, thigh and back bone; cut into quarters; remove excess fat or skin. Freeze the other half of the chicken for another use.)

2. 2 cups water

3. 1 pinch sea salt

4. 1 handful onion (sliced)

The soup

1. 1 tbsp olive oil

2. 1/2 cup onion (diced (use a red or yellow onion))

3. 2 ribs celery (diced)

4. 2 carrots (cut into bite sized pieces (equals about ½ to ¾ cup))

5. Strained chicken broth from the crock pot

6. 4-6 cups hot water

7. 2 tsp fresh thyme (remove the thyme leaves from the twig)

8. 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley (finely diced)

9. 1 tsp – 1 tbsp sea salt

10. freshly ground black pepper to taste

11. cooked and shredded chicken from above

12. 1 cup cooked pasta (el dente (shells, cut up spaghetti, penne, rotini)

    
    

Part 1: Cooking the chicken and making the broth

1. Prepare the above ingredients and place into a crock pot. Cover and cook for 4 hours on high or 6 – 7 hours on low. While the chicken cooks chop, cover and set aside the ingredients below for the soup. Cook the pasta last – generally while you finish the soup.

2. When the chicken is done, remove pieces using tongs to a large baking sheet. Using two forks, shred the chicken and separate out the bones and skin. Cover the meat and set aside while you finish the soup. Strain the liquid broth from the crock pot through a fine mesh strainer. Strain into a separate small pot.

Part 2: The soup

1. In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and celery and sauté for a few minutes. Add the carrots and sauté several more minutes. Add the strained chicken broth and additional hot water. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the thyme, parsley salt and pepper and cook for several more minutes until the vegetables are cooked through el dente. Adjust the salt and pepper seasoning to taste. Turn off the heat and add the chicken.

2. When serving, add the cooked pasta into your soup bowl, then add the desired amount of soup.

3. Keeping the pasta separate helps keep the pasta from getting too water logged and soggy.

4. It also enables you to store or freeze left-over soup for a rainy day without having soggy bloated pasta suck up your delicious broth.

5. This soup is even better the next day and you can easily skim fat off it next day.

Source: northwestspoon.com

#chicken #slowcooker