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Granny’s Best Chicken Soup

Image Credit:
Shebeko/shutterstock
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
8 to 10 servings
Category
Soups, Stews, Chowders
Course
Soup
Sources
Hearth and Home Calendar

This is the best chicken soup for when you crave comfort food or when you are feeling sick. The garlic, onions, and vegetables are immune-boosting, inflammation-reducing, and cold-fighting!

Note: You can cheat and use canned chicken stock—but it won’t be quite the same in terms of flavor or health.

Why are boiled bones so restorative? Learn more about the health benefits of bone broth.

Ingredients
4 quarts cold water
1 4- to 5-pound chicken, quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 to 5 stems parsley
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
finely chopped dill, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Measure water into a large soup pot and add all the ingredients. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours, using a spoon to skim the soup as well as possible.
  2. Remove from heat and cool. Skim fat from the surface and strain the soup. Wash out the soup pot and return the strained stock to the pot.
  3. Remove and discard bay leaf and parsley.
  4. Mash the carrots, celery, and garlic and stir them into the soup. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, chop the meat, and add to the soup. (If the chicken meat has completely fallen apart, that’s ok, too; just use as is, with bones removed.)
  5. Heat and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Top with chopped dill if desired.

About The Author

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...

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