Chicken soup is not the most photogenic food. It stands humbly in the sidelines while fancier, flashier foods steal the limelight. But when you’re sick, nothing is quite as comforting as a steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup.
Flu season is approaching (as some of us are finding out first-hand), and it’s already looking like it’s going to be a bad one. In about the time it takes to heat up a can of Campbell’s, you can do all the prep work for your very own homemade soup. After that, the soup practically makes itself with no work. It freezes beautifully, so it’s easy to have on hand. Make it while you’re healthy, and pull it out when you need it most.
What you need:
- 1 3-4 pound whole chicken (cut into parts)
- 3 carrots, washed and cut into big chunks
- 2 onions, halved (peels left on)
- 1 parsnip, washed and cut into big chunks
- 3 celery stalks, washed and cut into big chunks
- 3 cubes chicken bullion (optional)
- 1.5 tbsp salt, or to taste
- black pepper to taste
What to do:
- Put all ingredients in a large pot. Cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer and cook for about 3 hours. Skim fat off the top.
- Serve, refrigerate, or pour into containers and freeze. Note: It actually tastes better after a day in the fridge.
