Homemade Chicken Soup

You know how they say that our eating habits come from our childhood? My grandparents believed that soup is an essential part of any dinner and since I can remember there is nothing better for me than to start a meal with a bowl of delicious soup. 

This chicken soup is a filling yet a light flavorful dish that you can serve as a first course or take it for lunch to work. Its soothing properties make it great in a cold and flu season - it is filled with nutrition and leaves you satisfied without being heavy.

The key to this dish is to make your own stock as it gives the soup that homemade full flavor that you will never get from stock cubes. Cooking stock is easy and doesn’t require your attention for the most part – you have plenty of time to prepare ingredients for the soup or make those delicious cakes for dessert:) 


Ingredients:

Stock:

water

2 lb chicken parts (drumsticks, thighs), bones cut in half with a knife and a mallet

1 carrot, peeled

1 onion, peeled

salt

Soup:

1.5 qt chicken stock

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

½ cup of pasta 

1.5 tsp olive oil

parsley, finely chopped
salt

pepper

Making stock: 

Put the stock ingredients, except for salt, in a pot. Add cold water - 1.5 qt or until chicken parts are covered by 1 inch. Bring it to a boil and with a large spoon or a skimmer skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Reduce the heat to a low, add salt and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Discard the vegetables. Transfer the chicken parts to a platter and separate meat from the bones. You can use the stock immediately, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze it in small containers and use it later for soups, sauces and stews.

Making soup:

Return as much of the chicken meat as desired to the stock. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook them for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add a carrot. Cook it for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until soft but not brown. Add the carrot and pasta to the pot. As soon as pasta is ready (5-8 minutes), season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, add parsley and cover the pot. Leave it on the stove for 5 minutes for the flavors to infuse.

Serve and enjoy!