Making a stock first, then putting together the soup ingredients, makes the tastiest chicken soup possible.
Stock
4 lbs chicken bones (or a whole chicken with skin and fat removed)
4 black peppercorns
one carrot cut in large chunks
one stalk celery cut in large chunks
4 sprigs parsley
½ tsp dried or fresh thyme
1 clove garlic
1-2 quartered onions
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf
8 cups water
Put all ingredients in a kettle, bring to boil then simmer for one hour. Remove chicken bones or chicken and allow to cool. Skim fat and strain both pressing broth from veggies.
Chicken Soup
One or two onions, quartered
One or two garlic cloves, minced
Two celery stalks, chopped
Two carrots, chopped
Cooked chicken or turkey, removed from bones and chopped. Kitchen shears make this job easy.
Bring stock back to a simmer. Add veggies and simmer 10 minutes. Return chicken or turkey to pot and let it heat up. At this point you can add any of the options below.
Baby spinach (remove long stems and stir in after removing pot from heat)
(Add one after cooking separately and rinsing)
One cup barley
One cup rice
Red potatoes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper with some homemade bread and you’re done!