The Best Chicken Soup Ever
Sunday didn't really go quite a planned. We didn't learn how to can our own produce at the farm. We didn't make it to the Truman Museum or Clinton's Soda Factory in Independence, MO. We did not even make it to a movie. Stomach flu kept my wife in bed and at 8.00 am I found myself in Whole Foods buying organic, local produce so I could get fresh chicken soup made before the day ran away from me. I don't ever get a flu shot, but I always have chicken in the freezer so I can make soup if I need to.
Chicken soup takes time. It's not a difficult dish, but it requires patience. I cook my chicken soup for a minimum of six hours if I am really pressed for time, sixteen hours is ideal. I don't use stock or powder because there's no need for shortcuts. In this case, when my wife tasted the soup at dinner time, she declared it to be the best chicken soup she had eaten, which is so much more rewarding that a day at a museum.
If the winter flu has reached your home, or you are simple looking for a delicious chicken soup to serve, this recipe will not fail you. Organic, local produce is not required, but given that I was making this as a remedy, it just seemed to make sense to me.
You will need the following ingredients:
- Two chicken thighs
- Four turkey necks
- Three carrots
- One large parsnip
- One ruderbager (in some countries this is known as swede)
- One butternut
- One zucchini
- FRESH parsley and dill
- One onion
- Salt to taste
You can either cook this in a slow cooker or on the stove. I find that the stove version is cleaner and has a more defined flavor – perhaps I am less inclined to overcook a soup on the stovestop. Put a teaspoon of olive oil in your pot and, cut your onion in to eight pieces and allow it to start cooking while you dice your other root vegetables. I like a chunky, hearty soup, because this dish cooks for many hours, diced vegetables may begin to disintegrate. Add your vegetables, and place your chicken thighs and turkey necks at the top. Cover with water, and add half a bunch of parsley and dill. Add salt (a little secret my mother taught me – if you over-salt your soup, add a whole potato and it will draw the salt in. Do not eat the potato, throw it out before you serve).
Cover and bring to a gentle boil, then allow to cook on a low heat for at least six hours.
Eat, enjoy and recuperate.
