Chicken Soup for the Soul and the Tummy
Feb 3rd, 2007 by Matt S
Chicken soup should be at the heart of any diet of a person trying to heal themselves. Studies have found that chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties and it is full of good vitamins.
The heart of any good chicken soup is, of course a chicken. You’ll also need water and one trick that makes the soup heartier is an acid of some type. I use Braggs organic apple cider vinegar. Some people use lemon juice, or other types of vinegar. It doesn’t really matter which type of acid you use, just that you use one. Creating an acidic environment causes the minerals in the chicken bones to leach out into the soup.
My recipe is as follows. I try and use the best ingredients that I can find (organic, locally grown, etc…).
1 Whole Chicken with or without parts. If it comes with the neck then toss that in the pot. It will help thicken it up.
3-4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (or other acid)
3-4 large carrots or 6-7 medium carrots cut up
2 sticks of celery cut up
Half a bunch of parsley
Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste - Personally I use a lot of both. Chicken soup tends to be able to absorb a lot of salt.
Put all of the above in a big pot and cover with COLD water. I’m not sure why it is important that the water is cold, but I’ve made soup using warm water initially and it didn’t turn out as well. Put pot on burner, cover, and turn on low for a minimum of 12 hours. I’ve cooked this soup on low for over 24 hours before and it does fine. When the chicken falls apart on its own when you touch it then the soup is ready.
Carefully take the chicken out of the soup and de-skin and de-bone. You can keep the meat for other uses and have a more vegetable based soup or add it back in for chicken soup. I’ll do either depending on my mood and both versions are good.
That’s it. Now you have a great batch of soup. This recipe can be modified many ways, but just remember the chicken, acid, and cold water and it can’t turn out too bad. I’ve used onions before with good results. Beets added to the mixture of vegetables didn’t turn out too well though. Have fun. Experiment. Be Healthy and eat your chicken soup 