3 minute read
HEALTHY EATS: THE SECRET TO THAT PERFECT CHICKEN SOUP!
The Secret to that Chicken Soup!
By: Sruly Meyer
Is there anything more Jewish than chicken soup? It’s the cornerstone of every Shabbat meal. It’s the cure to the common cold and it’s the dish every Jewish grandmother has ready to go at any given time. It’s the perfect food on those cold winter nights, and we can’t get enough of it.
It’s mostly a very simple thing to make, but somehow everyone has their own twist on the perfect chicken soup. I’ve made it the same for years, but lately, I started asking people on my home cooking page what their own tricks and tips are on the perfect chicken soup.
Before we start with the tips, let’s discuss what we are looking for when we think of chicken soup. For one thing, we like the color nice and golden. It should have a lot of flavor, with chicken that is cooked perfectly, not too dry, not too soggy, and vegetables that don’t fall apart once the soup is fully cooked.
Did you ever notice how the longer the soup cooks the better it is? Often the soup tastes better the day after it’s made. The longer it sits, the longer those classic flavors blend and release.
Let’s start with the base, which almost every good soup boasts. Celery, onions, and carrots. Here is tip number one, don’t cut those veggies. Fill up a large soup pot with ¾ water, add salt and pepper, and set it to medium on the stovetop. You’ve been told your whole life to chop the veggies but I’m here to tell you, you will get a bigger flavor and a clearer brother if you leave them in whole! This is where things get interesting. Do everything you can to not let the soup boil. Start it off on medium as you prepare and add your veggies. Once everything is in, set it to low. In an additional pot, boil the chicken for 25 minutes. This ensures the fat and other parts of the chicken boil out separately from your main soup pot. Wash off the chicken and then add to your soup.
Allow the soup to cook on low for 5 hours. After, set the soup aside to get to room temperature. When the soup has reached room temperature, put it in the fridge overnight. Take it out the following morning, once again allowing it to get to room temperature before putting it back on the stovetop for an additional 5 hours on low.
Letting the soup get to room temperature keeps the soup from being shocked from cold to hot or hot to cold, which would allow a lot of the flavors to cook out. Like many other recipes, giving your dish that extra love, and time always gives you the best flavor.
During the process of writing this article I crowdsourced additional home tips and tricks, and here is a small sampling of additional options.
• Put the whole onion with the peel, make sure to wash it first! • Add herbs like fresh dill, parsley, thyme, or even rosemary! • You can add chicken bones for a meatier flavor. • Use mesh bags to keep the vegetables
INGREDIENTS
3 large carrots 2 large onions 2 medium size parsnips 1 bunch fresh parsley 1 large yellow squash 1 stalk celery 1 whole chicken cut into eighths
from breaking up and becoming pieces in the broth. • Only use greens which can also make for a clearer soup. • Whole green pepper (don’t eat it, it gives it a heartier taste.) • Feeling sick, looking for a chicken soup cure? Use fresh garlic. • Fleishig Magazine’s Shloime Klein says to use a beet for a perfect golden look. • Want to lock in the chicken flavor? Use a whole chicken! • Yellow beets! They will add a sweet quality to your savory chicken.
We also got a funny practical tip from singer Benny Friedman, “Hold your beard with your non-spoon hand so it doesn’t accidentally dip in the soup.”
Let me know how your soup works out, or send me your own tips and tricks, DM me, @SrulyCooks.
