Momma Jan's Good for What Ails Ya Chicken Soup

vieja47's Note:

Ready, Set, Cook! Special Edition Contest Entry. This vitamin and nutrient-packed recipe is easy on the tummy and delicious! The best endorsement to date is from a terminal cancer patient with no appetite who devoured bowls of this soup just weeks before her passing, declaring it "the best chicken soup I've ever had"! It can be streamlined by using rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, preminced garlic, and preshredded carrots. It is also extremely kid-friendly as most of the veggies are "hidden" and cooked down into the broth. After eating two bowls of this at her great-grandmother's house, my 5 year old granddaughter loudly insisted her mom get the recipe from me. Made this grandma proud!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6-8

Yield: 12.0 cups

• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use Kitchen Basics brand)
• 6 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon brand)
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and grated
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and grated
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 8 stalks celery, chopped fine (1 small bunch)
• 1 large onion, cut in half through the root (leave root intact, as onion is removed later, or if you are like me, then chop and leave in)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (mild golden only, the brand I use is McCormick's)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken (boneless skinless thighs, breasts, or combination)
• 1 large russet potato, grated
• 2 cups frozen corn

Directions:

1. Bring chicken broth, water, and chicken base to a low boil. While liquids are heating, shred turnip, parsnip, and carrots, chop celery, mince garlic, halve onion. Once liquids come to a low boil, add shredded veggies, halved onion, minced garlic, chicken parts, and mild golden curry. Simmer until chicken pieces are done - depending on thickness of pieces used, this is approximately 20-30 minutes. Remove onion and discard. Remove chicken, cool, and chop or shred.
2. Add corn and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. Add chicken pieces to reheat. If you like noodles, add them and cook just until al dente (soup will be hot and noodles will continue to cook after the pot is off the heat).
3. Optional "tweaks": In step one, you can add a shredded 4 inch piece of broccoli stem; if fresh corn is in season, cut the kernels from 2-3 cobs instead of using frozen, then add denuded cobs to step 1, removing with halved onion, and adding fresh kernels instead of frozen in step 2. Another option in step 2, add 1 cup defrosted frozen peas that have been pureed with a stick-blender. If you do not use boxed broth & base, then you'll need to make stock using a whole chicken (with skin) along with grated & chopped veggies in a pot of water for about an hour; remove chicken pieces and thoroughly chill stock, so that when fat solidifies, you can remove it easily with a spoon. Then finish the recipe.

Reviews

[Ginger110604]

Yummy!!!!!

[hotsoup]

This is the best soup I've ever had. Never tried making it myself, but now that I have all the ingredients, we'll give it a shot !

[saarnold]

delicious chicken soup