I’ve been working on perfecting my chicken soup recipe for years, and this is the best I’ve had anywhere.
With chicken soup, the most important point to remember is to never let it come to a boil (it should be just barely simmering). And since most modern chickens don’t taste much like chicken, the other “trick” is to make the broth first, then reduce it until it tastes like chicken, then season it and add the rest of the ingredients.
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 | Whole | 4 – 5 Lb Chicken legs and thighs |
| 4 | Stalks | Celery, cut bite-sized, including leafy tops |
| 1 | Large | Whole Yellow Onion, not peeled, cut in quarters |
| 1/2 | Large | Whole Yellow Onion, peeled, chopped into 1/2″ pieces |
| 4 | Large | Whole Carrots, peeled and sliced into disks or strips |
| 3 | Cloves | Garlic, smashed and not peeled |
| 1 | Parsnip, cut into chunks and not peeled | |
| 1 | Bunch Parsley, stems removed, chopped medium-fine | |
| 2 | Bay Leaves | |
| Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper | ||
- Put the chicken and quartered, un-peeled onion, half of the celery, half of the carrots, all the bay leaves in the pressure cooker and add water to almost cover.
- Put heat on high and bring to a boil. Maintain high pressure for about 25-30 minutes.
- Allow pressure to dissipate on it’s own (don’t release or run under cold water)
- Strain out broth and return to pot. Save chicken, discard everything else.
- Optional, but worth the time: Chill overnight and remove fat from surface of soup, reheat the next day.
- Add all the other veggies and gently simmer uncovered until the veggies are soft and the broth tastes like chicken soup and not watery.
- Break the chicken into small pieces and add back as much as you wish. The remaining chicken makes excellent sandwiches.
- Serve with Matzo Balls, noodles or dumplings. When reheating, use medium low heat and do not boil.
Serves 6 to 8