11/10/2010

I Guess I Can Make Soup (314/365)

The last time I tried to make soup was after Thanksgiving last year. I was pretty discouraged because it was quite bland, despite having followed the recipe to a T.  I decided to give it another go, this time with a different recipe. It took two days to make, but man was it worth it!  And this is from a woman who usually hates broth soups. 

It's a basic recipe I got out of one of my cookbooks, but I thought I'd share anyway. 

CHICKEN ORZO SOUP
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
2 celery stalks, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 T poultry seasoning
1 T salt
Pepper to taste
5 quarts cold water
3-4 lb whole chicken

Wash chicken, remove breasts and refrigerate. Add the rest of the chicken, plus garlic, carrot, celery, onion, seasoning, and enough water to cover carcass by 1-2 in. 

Heat gradually to boiling point, then add chicken breasts. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes, or until breast meat is cooked through. Remove breasts, set aside to cool, then refrigerate for later use in another dish. 

Simmer remaining chicken partially covered with a lid for 2-2.5 hours, or until chicken is tender and pulls away from bone. Strain, save only the meat and broth. Remove meat from bones and refrigerate. Place broth in smaller containers to cool for up to 2 hours at room temp until it can safely be stored in the fridge. 

Refrigerate overnight. The fat will then float to the top. Skim it off and discard. Return broth to stock pot, simmer uncovered 1 hour, or until broth is reduced by 1/4. Test seasonings. 

Then I added potatoes, carrots, a few celery stalks, and the reserved meat and let them simmer in the broth until tender. Meanwhile I boiled 4 ish servings of orzo in a separate pot and added the drained orzo to the soup. 

Matt and I sure enjoyed it. The girls, not so much. In fact Alice was sent to bed without dinner for the first time in her life. It was a long day. 

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