Chicken soup 101

Ingredients

• 4 lb Whole Chicken (about 1.8 kg, preferably with skin and bones)
• 0.5 lb Chicken Giblets (gizzard, neck, liver, heart) (use all packaged giblets; rinse before adding)
• 12 cup Water (filtered or cool tap water)
• 2 medium Onion (one large half‑onion plus two small onions, cut into half‑moons)
• 4 clove Garlic Cloves (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 2 medium Carrots (peeled and sliced into rounds)
• 2 stalk Celery Stalks (rinsed, leaves saved for garnish, cut into 1‑inch pieces)
• 1 medium Zucchini (cut into thick half‑moons; adds mucilage for body)
• 1 medium Parsnip (peeled and quartered then sliced)
• 2 tsp Salt (adjust to taste; start conservative)
• ½ tsp Black Pepper (freshly ground if possible)
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder (adds subtle flavor and golden color)
• 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley (chopped, added at the end)
• 1 tbsp Celery Leaves (saved from stalks, added at the end)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed, added just before serving)
• 1 large Egg (optional; whisked and added to broth to clarify)
• 1 cup Dry Egg Noodles (optional; add 30 min before serving)

Instructions

1. Prepare Chicken and Giblets

   Rinse the whole chicken and giblet bag under cold water, then place the chicken and all giblets into the large stockpot. Add water slowly to avoid splashing, filling the pot to about 12 cups (3 L).

   Time: PT5M

2. Bring to a Boil and Simmer

   Set the burner to high and bring the pot to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a gentle, spirited simmer, cover the pot, and let cook for 2 hours until the meat is very tender and begins to pull away from the bones.

   Time: PT2H

   Temperature: Medium‑high heat (≈200°F)

3. Prep Vegetables

   While the chicken simmers, trim the dirty ends off the celery, rinse all vegetables, and cut: onions into half‑moons, garlic roughly chopped, carrots into rounds, zucchini into half‑moons, parsnip into quarters then rounds, and celery stalks into 1‑inch pieces. Set aside the celery leaves for garnish.

   Time: PT25M

4. Remove Chicken and Clarify Broth (optional)

   Using tongs, carefully lift the chicken out of the pot and set aside to cool. If you want a clearer broth, whisk the egg in a small bowl and stir it into the hot stock; let simmer for 1 minute, then skim off the coagulated egg proteins with a spoon or strain through a fine mesh strainer.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: Medium heat

5. Shred Cooked Meat

   When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones with your hands, discarding skin, cartilage, and bones. Use a knife to cut any large pieces into bite‑size chunks and run the knife across the pile a few times to break up long fibers.

   Time: PT10M

6. Cook Vegetables

   Return the clarified broth to the pot (or keep the strained broth). Add all prepared vegetables, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: Medium heat

7. Finish Soup

   Add the shredded chicken back into the pot, stir in the chopped parsley, celery leaves, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. Let the soup heat through for another 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Low heat

8. Serve or Store

   Ladle soup into bowls. If using noodles, add them now and cook an additional 5‑7 minutes until al dente. Cool leftovers quickly, then refrigerate or freeze as described in the storage section.

   Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

220

Protein

20 g

Carbohydrates

12 g

Fat

8 g

Fiber

3 g