Ben's Famous Chicken Soup

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Each of the last three Sundays I have made this, and had it for lunch for the bulk of the following weekdays. I've modified/honed it down over the weeks, and today's version is what I would consider perfection. Enough to remind you that the humble chicken soup is one of man's heartiest, most satisfying (and healthy and inexpensive) endeavors:

INGREDIENTS
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- Whole 5 pound chicken, giblets removed, extra fat trimmed
- 3 quarts water
- 2 large yellow onions
- 10 medium/large carrots
- 1 bunch celery
- 4-5 sprigs Italian parsley
- 2 tbsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried dill

DIRECTIONS
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1. Place whole chicken (with neck, if available) in deep pot. Around chicken, nestle one quartered onion, four peeled carrots chopped in half, about 3-4 celery ribs roughly very roughly chopped, and the parsley. Sprinkle with 1.5 tbsp salt. Pour 3 quarts water over chicken, and bring pot to simmer. Simmer partially covered (just enough of a crack to let some of the steam escape and make the house smell awesome) for two hours, occasionally skimming off foamy scum, if you see it.

2. Remove pot from heat. Remove chicken from pot to a cookie sheet or cutting board (expect it to fall apart a little). Lightly cover with foil to prevent cats from getting on it, leave it there to cool for 30 minutes. Strain broth from pot into another pot or large bowl. Discard vegetables.

3. While the chicken cools, dice 6 peeled carrots, about 6 celery ribs, and the other onion. Once chicken cools, pick through it, separating the meat from the bones and skin, and pull meat apart into a separate bowl(*).

4. Wipe original pot clean. Over medium-high, heat olive oil, then add diced vegetables, season with remaining salt and pepper, and saute until veggies are soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add reserved broth, chicken meat, and dill. Bring to simmer and simmer, covered, 30 more minutes.

Now you are done.



(*) If you're like me, and you love all the little fatty, cartileginous bits around the chicken bones, this is your favorite part because in between separating the meat, you can also nibble on all those little nasty parts nobody else wants.

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Here's what it looks like. Not fancy, not fussy, just perfection.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Bump chudding this one as recent events have made is to that I may be having a lot of this coming up.

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This was supposed to be a weight loss soup, and I haven't made it since I was 300+ pounds. So maybe it's not a weight loss soup. Anyhow, it's happening soon, cuz it's my favorite thing and I just forgot about it. Why don't you people remind me of these things?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Is that a ... complaint?

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Two things:

1. This isn't on the Master Recipe List, but should be.

2. I'm a fraud. I made it this weekend but instead of lovingly making the broth with fresh chicken for hours, I just used two cartons of store-bought chicken broth and a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, even replaced the fresh parsley with dried flakes, and it was just as good.

Cooking is bullshit.

[Casual Observer]

Jonsey, you should find a way to publish all these recipes in a way that you can make money. The content is gold, could be a fucking cooking blog. Ever look up a recipe on the internet these days? They're horrible. They tell you their goddamn life story so they can fill 10 pages with affiliate marketing links. You could do the same and be just a little less dickish and still make money.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I'll try to keep this bumped.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

CO, good point, I bet we could make a virtual cook book here. I could add a chapter on cereals.

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Ever look up a recipe on the internet these days? They're horrible. They tell you their goddamn life story so they can fill 10 pages with affiliate marketing links.

I would like to put down (not bury) my hatchet for a moment to agree wholeheartedly with CO. I have to buy a new mouse every time I look at an internet recipe because by the time I get to the actual ingredients, amounts, and steps, the scroll wheel on the current one has long since worn out.

[Casual Observer]

CO, good point, I bet we could make a virtual cook book here. I could add a chapter on cereals.

Why not ICJ? Meta has failed, isn't there room for JC to monetize on some rich, rare content?

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Given that fresh, raw chickens are now more expensive than the pre-cooked rotisserie ones from the grocery store (THANKS JOE) there's really no reason to do the long-form version of this anymore. I did the quick and easy one last night in 30 minutes and it's the best thing I ever made, and I could happily eat it for every meal, every day.

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Did this last night, but added matzo balls for the first time, celebrating my Jewish heritage and also my wife likes it.

It's the same recipe, but with matzo balls!

10/10

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The leftovers were lighter today than I expected, but then I realized Kathy probably took some of it to work for lunch. I check in there, and there's nothing but chicken, veggies and broth!

MY WIFE TOOK MY BALLS!