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What do you do - used already cooked chicken or boil the raw chicken in water when you make homemade chicken soup? I tried starting with raw chicken quarters and boiling them for an hour in water to make the stock base, then took the meat off the bones, chopped it and re-added it to the soup when the veggies were cooked. I found that way the meat was tough and rubbery. I wanted to know how others prepared it.

I use raw chicken and bring it to a boil over medium heat. When it starts to boil I reduce the heat so the soup simmers. Remove the scum for the first half hour. As far stock goes I make that separate from the soup. Use the less desirable parts of the chicken for stock. Never boil the stock after it begins to boil - simmer it until it has reduced to about half.

I've been working to perfect chicken and turkey soup for a long time. To me, the best way to make a really good soup with depth of flavor is to bake the chicken in the oven, skin on and seasoned with salt and pepper inside and out until it's done. After it's cooked, remove all the meat from the bones, then put the bones in a stock pot and fill with the appropriate amount of water, add onions and celery and boil the heck out of those bones, I boil for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, strain everything leaving just the soup, then I add all the chicken meat to the soup and heat through just enough to warm the meat but not too long as to cook it further. Roasting the bones of any meat or poultry product before making soup adds a lot of flavor, it's an extra step worth taking as the results are far superior than that of a simple boiled bird. Turkey makes a wonderful soup, just yesterday I roasted 4 legs and 4 necks, removed the meat and boiled the bones and boy oh boy was it good!

I should have said I "simmer" the bones, not "boil". I read that you should never boil protein as it makes it tough and rubbery.

After I slice off all the meat of a deli rotisserie chicken, I use the carcass(skin and all) to make a super yummy stock. I add the usual suspects to flavor the stock: onion, garlic, celery, parsley, a little salt and whole peppercorns. I bring it to boil, immediately turn the heat to low and let it simmer gently for a couple of hours, uncovered. Then I strain it twice through cheesecloth, pour it into containers and freeze it.

Simmering the chicken in water really flavors the broth or stock. I bake chicken, trim it off bones, cut up to use for soup.
For the soup stock, simmer less meaty, boney chicken pieces with celery, onion, carrot peels & trimmings, peppercorns.
Strain & defat stock; saute chopped celery, onions in butter; add stock, diced raw carrots & potatoes, reseason and simmer until veggies are fork tender. Add diced chicken, and noodles the last few minutes.

Raw chicken, and simmer, never allow to boil, to produce a clear, not cloudy, broth.

Lurah's recipe is very good. I roast chicken and/or turkey pieces before placing in the soup pot - cover with water and/or chicken broth - add the aromatics (onion, celery, carrot, etc...) and other herbs, seasonings, etc... Simmer until the chicken/turkey is falling off the bone - remove, cool, and cut up as needed for the soup. Strain the stock, add cooked vegetables (as Lurah does) noodles / barley / whatever - and finally, add the cut-up chicken / turkey / and serve.

Interesting comment about boiling versus simmering the chicken. I usually boil my chicken for soup and other dishes but I've never noticed toughness. Next time, I'll try the simmering and see if I have a different result.

I make my chicken soup the easiest way possible. I simmer chicken parts in water with onion and bay leaf until cooked, but still tender. I remove the chicken parts and add the veggies to the water/stock and cook until just tender. Then I bone the chicken and cut the meat into chunks and put it back into the pot. One pot, not too many steps, and tastes great.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cocok,

If you want to make a really rich and flavorful stock, cook your chicken using canned chicken broth. I never add water when cooking the chicken. My preference is Keystone broth. I do the same thing when braising a roast - I add a can of beef broth instead of water.

quote:

Originally posted by sms29s66:
Raw chicken, and simmer, never allow to boil, to produce a clear, not cloudy, broth.

I tried the simmer method today and it worked!!! The broth turned out as clear as could be. I didn't notice any difference in the texture of the meat, though.

quick and easy..use raw breast meat, low sodium stock...not water..and always simmer so start fairly early before dinner (couple hours) veggies of choice, but like carrots chopped, onion, celery, and once in a while at the last half hour or so, sliced fesh mushrooms...

dh likes noodles/rice...the only other seasoning we use is cracked pepper...

a special treat? thicken slightly, and add half and half just enough to make it creamy...

last but another fave bisquick recipe for dumplings...

I start with a whole chicken - generally a fryer because baking hens are fatty. Using seasoned water with chopped celery, onions, carrots, I simmer the chicken until done, then remove it from the broth. Then I add the rest of the vegetables to the broth. After the chicken cools, I pick it off the bones, chop, then add to the pot.

I'm not a fan of boiled chicken.

On the rare occaision that I bake a chicken whole, or buy a whole deli chicken, I simmer the carcass for a long time, then strain and freeze the concentrated stock.

When I get ready to make soup, I add canned chicken breast to the stock. But thats just me who doesn't like boiled chicken.

Boiling ANY meat toughens it. SLOW cooking (simmer) softens connective tissue & bones; adds flavor & retains nutrients.
Also. big diff between "broth" and STOCK. decades ago Granny said, broth is dishwater..... sorry if translation is upappetizing

Last week after purchasing a pre cooked whole chicken (Costco, $4.99), munched on the drumsticks before placing remainder in the frig. The next day, sliced thigh & breast meat for sandwhiches>> the carcass went into a pot with water and simmered for 2 hrs.
When cooled, skimmed off fat, removed & discarded bones & skin. . after separating the meat, it & half the stock went into a container & 2 cups stock into another, both hogging space in the freezer