I love most chicken soups:

TEXAS TORTILLA SOUP (serves 6-8)
One 3 lb chicken
10 cups water
2 onions, cut into halves
6 ribs celery, cut into halves
8 sprigs cilantro
4 chicken bouillon cubes
12 corn tortillas, torn
2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic
Garnish: Fried corn tortilla strips, shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack, chopped fresh cilantro. ~~
Rinse the chicken, combine the chicken, water, onions, celery, cilantro & bouillon cubes in a stockpot. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat. Simmer 1 hour or until the chicken is tender. Drain, reserving the stock & discarding the vegetables. Shred the chicken, discarding the skin & bones. Process 2 cups of the reserved stock, tortillas, jalapenos & garlic in a blender until pureed. Pour into the stockpot with the remaining stock. Stir in the chicken. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each serving w/corn tortilla strips, Cheddar, Monterey Jack & cilantro. ~~

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (serves 6)
3-4 lb chicken
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 ribs celery, cut into halves
1 large onion, cut into quarters
1 carrot, peeled, cut into halves
1/4 cup parsley sprigs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, cut into 1" slices
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
8 oz spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Rinse the chicken & discard the gizzard. Combine the chicken, broth, water 2 ribs celery, 1 onion, 1 carrot, parsley sprigs, 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper in a stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat. Simmer 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Remove chicken to a platter, reserving the broth. Cool slightly. Chop the chicken, discarding the skin & bones. Strain the reserved broth through a fine mesh colander or cheesecloth into a bowl, discarding the vegetables. Skim the broth. Rinse the stockpot to remove any fat.
Return the broth to the pot. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add 1 1/2 cups celery, 1 cup onion, 2 carrots, 1 tso salt & 1 tsp pepper. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spaghetti. Increase the heat to medium. cook 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken & parsley. May add additionaly water if needed for the desired consistency. Simmer just until heated through.
Ladle into soup bowls. Serve immediately. ~~
NOTE: May substitute 6 oz egg noodles for the spaghetti. Remove the noodles from the soup & store separately in the refrigerator or freezer as they will absorb all the broth.

Since I had lessons from Bubbe ( Renee A) I do it this way.
Like Ginger...a whole chicken cut up plus about 2 pounds more of wings.
Place in a stock pot, add a quart of chicken broth and enough water to cover the chicken by 2 inches.
Add 2 slalks celery in half ( I could copy and past ginger here!)
Large onion, cut in quarters but unpeeled...there is a flavor in the skins.
2 carrots, washed
1 large or 2 small parsnips
A sweet potato, washed and cut in half.
A generous handful of fresh parsley...I don't bother to chop.
1 Tsp salt
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, whole
1 tsp of whole pepper corns
Bring to a boil, skim the foam, turn the heat down to a bare simmer and simmer for an hour.
Remove the breast, legs and thighs of the chicken, remove the skin and refrigerate
Continue to cook the rest in the pot at a very slow simmer....very slow for at least another 2 hours, 3 is better.
Strain the broth through through a couple of layers of cheese cloth....pressing hard on the solids.....and discard the bones, skin, mushy veggies etc.
Chill the broth enough to remove the layer of fat that rises to the top, and return the broth to the soup pot. You should have 2 quarts of broth....if you wish you can add a couple more cups of canned broth at this point.
Heat the broth and add about 2 cups sliced celery one large onion chopped ( or 2 small) about 2/4 pound of carrots peeled and cut into buttons, 2 or 3 parsnips peeled and cut in 1/4th length-wise and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. taste and add salt as needed ( you will need to add probably a scant teaspoonful)
Cut up some of the reserved chicken to add to the soup....all of it if you like a meaty soup and serve with a crusty loaf of bread.
I don't put noodles in my chicken soup.

Or this is a bit different: Called Gypsy Stew...but I make a few alterations...in parenthesis.

Gypsy Stew..Pink Adobe, Santa Fe
1 large frying chicken cut into pieces
3 yellow onions peeled and quartered
8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved ( I chop!)
2 cups dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock ( I use 2 10 oz cans....low fat, low salt, no MSG broth)
12 medium hot chilis like poblano, roasted, peeled and seeded (or use canned)( I use 2 small 6 oz cans of chopped green chilic, drained)
6 large ripe tomatoesÂ(Again I use whole canned plum tomatoes if I don't have garden freshÂ.cut in 4thsÂpull apart using 2 forks and add the juice in the can to the pot)
Salt to taste and ½ pound grated jack cheese
Put chicken, onions, garlic 1 cup of sherry and the broth in a large heavy kettle ( add more broth to cover if neededÂ..simmer one hourÂ.cool somewhat and remove skin and bonesÂ.I also cool the pan juices somewhat and skim the fat..
Put chicken tomatoes, chilis and rest of the sherry back in the pot and simmer about 45 minutes.
To serveÂplace cheese cubes in the bottom of bowl and ladle hot soup over the top.
Good made ahead and reheated.
Linda C

I like to start with leftover roasted chicken (meat & carcass). Remove meat from bird and refrigerate. Simmer the carcass in a combination of chicken broth and water for a couple hours, then strain broth. Refrigerate and remove any fat that may surface.

In Dutch oven saute diced onions, carrots and celery in a couple tablespoons butter for about 10 minutes. Add 1 or 2 diced shallots and cook for another minute. Then add broth and a generous amount of fresh thyme, salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Bring to a boil and add noodles. Toss in chicken for the last few minutes to reheat.

{{gwi:2052019}}

Linda has the Chicken Soup down to a fine science! That is how I make my chicken broth too. Leaving the skin on the yellow onion also enhances the color of your broth.

With Turkey Day so close at hand, thought someone might like the following recipe:

The Perfect Leftover

1 turkey carcass
3 ribs celery with tops -- coarsely chopped
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 pound noodles -- 1/8 inch thick
1 bunch carrots, pared and sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
2 boxes (10oz ea.) frozen peas, thawed

Simmer turkey carcass, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and bay leaves in water about
2 hours. Remove carcass and strip meat from bones. Bring soup to a boil and add
noodles, carrots and celery. Simmer 25 - 30 minutes. Add meat from bones and
frozen peas. Simmer 10 additional minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Source: "Newspaper clipping"

NOTES: Hearty Turkey Soup is the perfect way to use any leftover turkey. A nutritious
meal-in-one main course. Can be frozen. Use the soup within two months for max.
quiality and flavor.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(I do not use a whole bunch of carrots...just 1 or 2, since I think that too much carrot over-powers the flavor of the soup.) Also the bones left on the dinner plate at the table can also be used....after all, they are boiled again, and most of those gathered for the Thanksgiving Dinner are your own kin. But, use your own judgement about that!

I also add any leftover gravy and a small amount of leftover stuffing if there is any!
But I do stop ad adding any cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie! LOL!
Linda C

{{gwi:2052017}}

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion; chopped
1 stalk celery; chopped
1 carrot; chopped
1/3 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup half & half, whole milk or cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup chopped, cooked chicken (1/2 breast)

Melt butter in a large saucepan and add chopped vegetables; cover and "sweat" until tender. Uncover and stir in flour; continue to cook for one minute. Gradually stir in broth and half & half Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Add salt, pepper and chicken pieces and return soup to boiling. Serve hot. Makes 5 cups

For {{gwi:2052018}}, omit the flour and the half and half and use 4 cups chicken broth instead of 3 cups. Use about 4 ounces dry noodles. (I like to use home-made or Kluskie cut.)

Dont add the chicken until after the noodles are cooked.

After the vegetables are tender bring broth to a full boil; stir in noodles and simmer until they are tender. Add chicken and heat through. Serve hot.

Marilyn

Here's my recipe which is pretty well a standard soup recipe and nothing original other than that I like to roast the bones, the garlic and onion when making the stock.

Here

packaged in twos in the supermarket, after they've removed most of the meat for their trays of wings, breasts etc. But there's still enough meat on the bones for a great and flavourful soup.

Soup Ingredients:

Homemade chicken stock - about 2 quarts
2 carrots - diced
2 stalks celery - diced
1 leek - diced
1 cup diced rutabaga or orange squash
1/2 cup fine soup noodles
salt & pepper
oil or chicken fat

Ratio of solids to stock should be about 2 cups stock to 1 lb chopped vegetables. Add any more chopped veg if you don't have enough.

Stock ingredients:

1 meaty chicken carcass or piece of whole chicken
2 heads of garlic
1 onion - cut in half
celery stick - sliced
1 carrot sliced
fresh thyme - large sprig
1 bayleaf
black pepper & salt

MAKING STOCK:

1. Early in day or day before:
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut top off heads of garlic. Place on roasting pan together with chicken carcass and sliced onion and drizzle a bit of oil over top of all.
(I had two carcasss to roast as they are sold this way in pairs at our supermarket. I also added a couple of beef bones.)
Roast in oven about 40 minutes or until all is toasted.

and juices from pan.

2. Put bones into a very large pot. Squeeze one head of the buttery garlic cloves into the stock pot, saving the other head of garlic for adding to the soup. Add the rest of the stock ingredients and fill pot with water to cover. Grind in fresh pepper. Bring to boil, turn down heat, put on lid and simmer for a couple of hours.
Skim off any grey residue that rises to the top.

3. Afterwards, strain the solid debris from the stock ---(REMEMBER you're saving the stock so don't pour it down the sink - as has been done LOL !).
I look through the solids and pick out the meaty chicken pieces to save for the soup. Throw away all the rest of the solid material.
Here I let it cool and refrigerate until next day when it's easy to remove solid fat from top. Otherwise continue to make soup.

MAKING THE SOUP:

1. Sauté the chopped ingredients in a frypan in a TBS of chicken fat or oil until lightly golden. Squeeze out the buttery cloves from the 2nd head of garlic and add to pan.

2. Put soup ingredients including small bits of chicken into large saucepan and add an appropriate amount of stock - about double the amount of liquid to vegetables.
Put on lid and simmerwith lid on for about an hour. Add soup noodles during last 5 minutes.

3. Check seasoning, add salt.

Serve with crusty bread.

SharonCb