Chicken-And-Vegetable Soup
Submitted by mrg
Two whole chickens simmered with leeks, carrots, celery, and fresh thyme yield a crystal-clear broth and tender diced meat. A from-scratch chicken soup that’s worth every minute of the 2.5-hour simmer.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
120 minREADY
150 minThis is not soup from a can. Not even close.
Two whole chickens go into a big stockpot with cold water, and over the next couple of hours, they give up everything they’ve got into a rich, golden, deeply savory broth.
The trick here is the two-stage vegetable approach: one batch of aromatics flavors the broth and gets discarded, while a second batch of fresh carrots, onions, celery, and leeks gets gently softened in butter and served in the bowl.
The result is a soup with clear, clean flavor and vegetables that still have their color and bite.
Ladle the hot broth tableside over bowls of diced chicken and bright vegetables for a presentation that feels genuinely special.
Kitchen Tips
- Start with cold water. Bringing it slowly to a boil extracts more flavor from the bones and produces a clearer broth.
- Skim the scum from the surface in the first few minutes of boiling. This is what keeps your broth from turning cloudy.
- Wash the sliced leek rounds thoroughly in a bowl of cold water. Sand hides between the layers and will ruin the texture.
- Save the chicken bones in the freezer for making an even richer double stock next time.
Ingredients
Directions
COMBINE CHICKENS AND WATER in a 5-quart stockpot.
Cover, bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low and skim off the scum that accumulates on the surface.
Remove chicken breast quarters and set aside.
Add 2 cups carrots, 1 cup onions, 2 cups celery, green leek tops, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme and salt.
Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove cover, replace the chicken breasts and continue to cook for another 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the white parts of leeks into ¼ inch rounds and wash well to remove any sand.
You should have about 1 cup. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the leeks and the remaining carrots, onions and celery.
Cover and cook gently until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the liquid and place on a platter.
Strain the liquid through a fine strainer into a large plastic container and discard the herbs, spices and the cooked soup vegetables.
Skim and discard any fat from the surface of the broth.
Remove and discard chicken skin.
Remove the meat from the bones, dice it and set aside.
Place bones in an airtight freezer container and save for making stock.
Immediately prior to serving, transfer broth to a pot and heat, covered, over high heat.
Heat chicken and vegetables, covered, in 350℉ (180℃) F oven until hot.
Decorate each soup bowl with some heated diced vegetables and chicken.
Pour the hot broth into a pitcher or soup tureen and pour the soup into the garnished bowls at the table.
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