September is National Chicken Month

Everyone has a favorite food and mine is chicken soup.  This week in honor of National Chicken Month I'm writing about my favorite food. My favorite chicken soup is not my mother’s but my own. Years of making it almost weekly and trying different ways to satisfy my family’s and my taste has brought it to near perfection. It’s simple and the recipe is forgiving. The best thing about soup is that it's so flexible; a handful of  this, a pinch of that, and frequent tasting ends up being quite good. My favorite time to make chicken soup is any time. It's refreshing and it almost makes itself. The last time I made chicken soup was to initiate my new home’s kitchen, barely unpacked and with only the bare essential ingredients and equipment. It's an easy soup to make, and it helped me feel at home. Try this recipe, and while making it taste often; that's the best part.  

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INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 5 lbs whole chicken
  
• 1 gallon tap water or enough to cover chicken. If more liquid is needed I recommend using reduced or low sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 onion cut in quarters
  
• 1 ham hock, fat removed, or 1 (1X2) slice cured or smoked Black Forrest or other strong flavored diced
  
• 6 garlic cloves, whole, peeled, diced fine
  
• 2 inch ginger root peeled and sliced
  
• 2 teaspoons salt & pepper
  
• 4 large carrots cut in one inch slices
  
• 2 stalks celery cut in one inch slices
  
• 1 bunch Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano or 2 tablespoons dehydrated flakes 
• 1 bay leaf
  
• salt & pepper to taste

CHOICE OF

•  3/4 cup brown rice, noodles or potatoes*
• ¼  cup to ½ cup each  of 4 to 5 vegetables of your choice; see optional ingredients list below
• sliced carrots, celery, stemmed chopped spinach or baby
• 1 tablespoon  good quality soy sauce 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS*

• Vegetables: carrots, spinach, kale, green beans, peas, celery 
•  Potatoes: If using potatoes add after the vegetables and do not overcook or they will fall apart. 
• Rice or Noodles:  Limit amount added as they will absorb a lot of liquid and if held overnight keep absorbing moisture soaking most of the broth becoming  thick and mushy.

METHOD

1. In a deep soup pot add tap water, quartered chicken or chicken pieces, vegetables, herbs & spices Bring to a short boil, turn down, simmer for 1 to 2 hours. 
   
2. Let soup cool enough to handle, strain broth and set aside. 
3. Bone chicken & remove skin. 
4. Discard vegetables, ham, vegetables, ginger & bay leaf.
5. Bone chicken & remove skin.  A whole chicken yields enough boned meat for a second meal such as chicken salad or pot pie.  
6. Discard vegetables, ham, chicken bones, skin & bay leaf
   
7. Add freshly chopped vegetables and your choice of diced potatoes, rice or pasta, Simmer until done. 
8. Adjust seasonings. Finish soup with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir and serve. 

MORE ABOUT INGREDIENTS AND METHOD 

• I use one whole chicken, cleaned and quartered or 4 - 5 carcasses from roasted chickens or pieces of chicken cooked or raw.  A whole chicken yields enough boned meat for a second meal such as chicken salad or pot pie.  
• Don't try to reuse the strained ingredients; they're colorless, mushy and flavorless. 
• During preparation the broth and chicken are safe while working for under two hours. If you take longer be sure to keep both broth and chicken either cool at below 41°F or hot above 135°F for safety. 
• To finish the soup choose additional vegetables to add. Mild flavored vegetables are best.
•  If more liquid is needed use reduced or low sodium chicken broth.
• Once vegetables and potatoes or rice/noodles cook, add chicken meat & simmer to 165°F for 15 to 20 seconds .Chicken meat becomes stringy when overcooked or boiled.