Name: Chicken Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3-4 pounds whole fresh chicken (giblets removed); 2 large yellow onions (peeled and halved); 1 head garlic (cut in half horizontally); ½ small jalapeno (seeded and ribs removed); 2 dried bay leaves; ½ teaspoon kosher salt (+ more to taste); ½ tablespoon peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper); 12 cups water; 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes); 2 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes); 3 large carrots (peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes); 1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce; 1 large lemon (juiced)

Description

A hearty and comforting chicken soup made from scratch using fresh ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale

3–4 pounds whole fresh chicken (giblets removed)
2 large yellow onions (peeled and halved)
1 head garlic (cut in half horizontally)
½ small jalapeno (seeded and ribs removed)
2 dried bay leaves
½ teaspoon kosher salt (+ more to taste)
½ tablespoon peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper)
12 cups water
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes)
2 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes)
3 large carrots (peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes)
1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 large lemon (juiced)

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Instructions

Remove any giblets, gravy packet, thermometer, or plastic ties for a whole chicken and discard. Place the chicken into a large stock pot or Dutch Oven. Add onions, garlic, jalapeño, 2 dried bay leaves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tablespoon peppercorns. Cover with 12 cups water.
Bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat. As the soup comes to a simmer, remove any cloudy material that rises to the top of the broth with a fine-mesh strainer and discard.
Once the soup is simmering (small bubbles around the edges of the pan), turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and falling apart.
Remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board or large bowl/casserole dish. Strain the broth using a colander over a large bowl OR simply use a spoon to fish out the onions, garlic, jalapeño, bay leaves, and peppercorns from the broth.
Optional: Refrigerate broth for a few hours or overnight to let fat consolidate and harden on the surface of the soup. Once the fat rises to the surface, scoop it out and discard.
If needed, return the broth to the soup pan and bring back to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and 1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
While the vegetables are simmering, prepare the chicken. Remove the skin and discard. Remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Shred or dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Measure out 2-3 cups of the chicken and save the rest to use in another recipe.
Once the vegetables are tender, add 2-3 cups of the shredded chicken to the soup and simmer for 2-5 minutes, just to warm through.
Remove the soup from the heat and add the juice of the lemon to the soup. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Notes

This soup can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The broth can be frozen for future use.
Feel free to add any vegetables you have on hand.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 350
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 500mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Unsaturated Fat: 5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 25g
Cholesterol: 70mg