Quick Question. Chicken Soup.

[Roll_Bones]

I made a chicken broth/stock yesterday. No aromatics. Just a chicken carcass and a bag of bones.
I strained it last night and refrigerated. I plan to remove the congealed fat from the top today before I use it.

Should I saute/brown up the aromatics in the pot before adding liquid? I have carrots, celery and onions. I have some boneless thighs I plan to cut up and add to the soup. Should I brown up these chicken pieces too?

My gut says yes to both questions. But now that I have all of you, what would you do?

 

[Andy M.]

Nice gut you have there. Brown is the color of great flavor.

 

[Katie H]

.....what Andy said. Go for it.

 

[Mad Cook]

I made a chicken broth/stock yesterday. No aromatics. Just a chicken carcass and a bag of bones.
I strained it last night and refrigerated. I plan to remove the congealed fat from the top today before I use it.

Should I saute/brown up the aromatics in the pot before adding liquid? I have carrots, celery and onions. I have some boneless thighs I plan to cut up and add to the soup. Should I brown up these chicken pieces too?

My gut says yes to both questions. But now that I have all of you, what would you do?

Well, it isn't absolutely essential but it really adds to the flavour of the finished soup.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

It will be the best you ever made if you brown it up a bit.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Thanks. I was never much on soup, but I am now. So that is why I ask the questions with the easy answers.

I will saute the seasoned chicken pieces first, remove from pan and set aside. Then in same pot the aromatics. I will include some fresh crushed garlic.
Once the aromatics are lightly browned I will put the chicken back in and add my stock.
I have some green onions too. Scallions. I think I will slice some really thin and garnish the tops of each bowel with some.
Oh I am also adding some egg noodles at the very end.

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks. I was never much on soup, but I am now. So that is why I ask the questions with the easy answers.

I will saute the seasoned chicken pieces first, remove from pan and set aside. Then in same pot the aromatics. I will include some fresh crushed garlic.
Once the aromatics are lightly browned I will put the chicken back in and add my stock.
I have some green onions too. Scallions. I think I will slice some really thin and garnish the tops of each bowel with some.
Oh I am also adding some egg noodles at the very end.

Mmmm! Sounds great. Next, bake a loaf of bread to go along with it.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Sounds wonderful! Enjoy! I love creating and making soups.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Mmmm! Sounds great. Next, bake a loaf of bread to go along with it.

I am not about to start baking bread today...lol But I do have some nice crusty rolls in the freezer that will thaw nicely.
Maybe I can get my wife to stop by Panera on her way home?

Sounds wonderful! Enjoy! I love creating and making soups.

I am starting to enjoy it too. My next thing will be creamy soups and then when it gets warm outside, I may try a cold soup.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I am starting to enjoy it too. My next thing will be creamy soups and then when it gets warm outside, I may try a cold soup.

I spent several years as a soup, salad and sandwich chef. The best soups (best sellers) were soups I created out of odds and ends and could never repeat. It was great fun.

 

[Addie]

Thanks. I was never much on soup, but I am now. So that is why I ask the questions with the easy answers.

I will saute the seasoned chicken pieces first, remove from pan and set aside. Then in same pot the aromatics. I will include some fresh crushed garlic.
Once the aromatics are lightly browned I will put the chicken back in and add my stock.
I have some green onions too. Scallions. I think I will slice some really thin and garnish the tops of each bowel with some.
Oh I am also adding some egg noodles at the very end.

Take a bit of that stock and add it to the pan you browned your aromatics in. Loosen up all that fond that is on the bottom with a gentle simmer and stirring. Great flavor you don't want to lose.

 

[menumaker]

I am a soup addict and if you want to try, make some Soda bread which doesn't involve yeast, proving or kneading or hardly any time or work, and it's wonderful with soup. I'm making some tomorrow to go with the Cullin Skink fish soup that we are having as a first course for our Burn's Night Supper for 8 of us ( It's a Scottish thing)
By the way Mad Cook, I sent you a private message but i don't know if you got it?

 

[Mad Cook]

I spent several years as a soup, salad and sandwich chef. The best soups (best sellers) were soups I created out of odds and ends and could never repeat. It was great fun.

My Dad used to make wonderful soups using that method!

 

[cave76]

A bit off topic, but the next time you make chicken soup see if you can find a few chicken feet (cleaned, of course) and add them.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Take a bit of that stock and add it to the pan you browned your aromatics in. Loosen up all that fond that is on the bottom with a gentle simmer and stirring. Great flavor you don't want to lose.

Thats what I did Addie. Everything was browned up in the soup pot before the stock was added. First the chicken pieces then the aromatics. Thanks.

A bit off topic, but the next time you make chicken soup see if you can find a few chicken feet (cleaned, of course) and add them.

My wife might not eat the soup if she saw the feet? And yes, they are available.

 

[cave76]

My wife might not eat the soup if she saw the feet? And yes, they are available.

Cut them up into small pieces first.
Put them in a muslin bag.
After they're cooked run them out to the garbage while she's out of the house.
Or tell her they're juju for a long and healthy life.

 

[LPBeier]

I am looking out at the rain coming down and dreading the fact I have to go across the river to get TB's gluten-free bread alone. Our direct route is a very old narrow bridge that no one likes to drive at the best of times. This is the one time I would trade my low narrow car for the bigger mini-van.

I know I will be fine, just hate that bridge.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The only change I'd make to your plan is that I'd very lightly brown the cubed chicken, then set it aside. I'd make the soup from the rich stock you already have, and add the chicken cubes to the soup bowls.

I do this because the my chicken stock is made from browned bones, and the meat sticking to them. I boil, or pressure cook them until the bones start to soften. I also crack the bones so as to allow the marrow to be dissolved into the broth. By doing these things, I get that wonderful collagen, and all of the flavor I could want. Oh, I also add a bit of celery to the stock as it's cooking. It's slightly acidic, and helps extract calcium and collagen from the chicken carcass.

I then strain the stock, put it in the fridge overnight, lift the fat off the top, and am rewarded by a rich chicken gelatine (aspic). I put that into the soup pot, add veggies, herbs, and spices, cook until it's done just right, then serve with the freshly sauteed chicken cubes.

Boiling the meat will give you tough, and flavorless chicken meat, with a wonderful broth around it. My way gives me that same, great broth, with veggies (and maybe noodles, dumplings, barley, or rice), plus succulent and juicy chicken meat.

Take your soup from really good, to great. Those eating it with you will appreciate the effort.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[LPBeier]

I am looking out at the rain coming down and dreading the fact I have to go across the river to get TB's gluten-free bread alone. Our direct route is a very old narrow bridge that no one likes to drive at the best of times. This is the one time I would trade my low narrow car for the bigger mini-van.

I know I will be fine, just hate that bridge.

I am obviously sleeping - this post was for the "What Are You Doing?" thread.

 

[Roll_Bones]

The only change I'd make to your plan is that I'd very lightly brown the cubed chicken, then set it aside. I'd make the soup from the rich stock you already have, and add the chicken cubes to the soup bowls.

I do this because the my chicken stock is made from browned bones, and the meat sticking to them. I boil, or pressure cook them until the bones start to soften. I also crack the bones so as to allow the marrow to be dissolved into the broth. By doing these things, I get that wonderful collagen, and all of the flavor I could want. Oh, I also add a bit of celery to the stock as it's cooking. It's slightly acidic, and helps extract calcium and collagen from the chicken carcass.

I then strain the stock, put it in the fridge overnight, lift the fat off the top, and am rewarded by a rich chicken gelatine (aspic). I put that into the soup pot, add veggies, herbs, and spices, cook until it's done just right, then serve with the freshly sauteed chicken cubes.

Boiling the meat will give you tough, and flavorless chicken meat, with a wonderful broth around it. My way gives me that same, great broth, with veggies (and maybe noodles, dumplings, barley, or rice), plus succulent and juicy chicken meat.

Take your soup from really good, to great. Those eating it with you will appreciate the effort.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Hi Chief.
Yes, when I make stock with whole pieces of chicken, I remove the meat from the bones and reserve it to the side after an hour or so. Then return the bones to the stock pot and continue making, well stock.
The chicken in this case either goes in at the very end, or in the bottom of the bowl before serving. So as to not over cook the chicken pieces.

This time I had premade stock. So I browned up the chicken first and removed it. Then I browned the aromatics and added the stock to them. Then after a while I added the chicken. Near the end. Not for the duration.
I was using boneless, skinless thighs. They tend to do well cooking longer anyway, unlike white meat would.
This was not an all day affair. I needed to make soup in less than three hours and I was successful.
Sort of a quick soup if you will.