f you don't know how to make homemade chicken soup, you need to figure out what's going on with your life because that is a MISS. This chicken soup is the most basic, essential life skill 101 that you need to know how to make.
Chicken soup is a mandatory recipe you should know how to make
I really firmly believe that everyone needs to know how to make 1 or 2 things for themselves. The number of men I've dated who just order takeout instead of making a simple, cheap dinner is astounding. Why can't you just roast a piece of chicken or a sweet potato?! Who didn't teach you that? What is so hard about putting a piece of protein on top of a pile of lettuce? Help me help you.
If you can't make yourself 1 simple meal, you need to look in the mirror and evaluate your relationship not just with food, but with yourself. It's that simple. Life is really less about "me vs the world," and more about "me vs me." Why are you sabotaging yourself? Not enough time? Do you not think you deserve it? Do you not have the means? Or do you not have the discipline? Figure it out, and solve for it.
The good news is that ANYONE can make chicken soup. It's a) so easy and b) a basic, 101 level food/cooking class. You get to see how a stock is made, you do a mirepoix, and you cook a protein. You're like, learning shit, man.
I call this soup "get your shit together chicken soup" because it's not just a life coach shaking you by the shoulders, saying, "get a hold of yourself!" -- it also helps you literally get your shit together. Need a few cheap dinners this week to stretch your paycheck? This is it. Need to feel organized and like you accomplished SOMETHING today? Make chicken soup.
Not joking. This soup gets your act together. You feel accomplished. There's a sense of pride.
And, it yields a ton, so you'll have leftovers or meal prep for days.
📖 Recipe
"Get Your Shit Together" Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- Stock
- 1 lb of chicken legs - bone in skin on
- 8 cups of water
- 2 carrots snapped in half
- 2 celery stalks snapped in half
- half an onion doesn't matter if you peel or not
- 1 tablespoon of peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- Soup
- 1 tablespoon of neutral oil
- 2 carrots thinly sliced into rounds
- half an onion thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 celery stalk thinly sliced into rounds
- the chicken you cooked in the stock
- optional: noodles - would recco egg noodles since they hold up in soup nicely
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the stock. You can do this either on the stove or in an Instant Pot. If doing on the stove, fill a big cast iron pot with all your stock ingredients, and then bring to a boil. Pull it down to a simmer for about 2 hours. If doing in the Instant Pot, put all ingredients in the IP, seal it, and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. (I did a quick release, worked fine)
- Strain the stock and cool the chicken. Once done, strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with cheesecloth. Put the chicken on a separate plate and cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Put the strained stock in a big bowl in the fridge, too, for 2 hours. After 2 hours, skim the fat off the top of the broth. Use your fingers to shred the chicken - discard the skin and bones.
- To do the final soup assembly, heat oil in the same cast iron pot or put your Instant Pot on sautee mode. Wait for it to get shimmery, then throw in your aromatics. Sweat them and season with a little bit of salt. Add in the shredded chicken and broth. If doing on the stove, put the top back on and let it simmer for 40ish minutes, to let the flavors come together. If doing in an Instant Pot, seal it, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and do a quick release.
- Optional: add in noodles if you want -- add them in near the end of the cooking time, and cook according to the package's recommended time.
- Season to taste, and serve! Yum yum