pa dutch chicken corn soup
Your family will gobble this up! It is a staple here in Central PA. I feel bad for those who don't know of it! There are lots of good chicken corn soups out there (I love them all), but my friends have given me the top honors on mine. You can't go wrong on making this, honestly. Use your own judgement in taste, and I always get extra chicken broth & bouillon on hand, just in case I need to enhance flavors. You can skip the rivels or add some thin noodles in their place. A lot of this is up to your own tastebuds & the chickens you use. Enjoy!
Blue Ribbon Recipe
Chicken corn soup has a light sweetness from the corn and a savoriness from the chicken. This particular recipe has a rich broth mixed with a variety of herbs and is cooked low and slow for several hours. The outcome is a flavorful, comforting bowl of soup. It takes a little time to make but it makes a large amount... great if you want leftovers or serving a crowd. A warming meal for a cold night.
Ingredients
- 2 - fryer chickens or one large roaster (6 lbs total)
- 4 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
- 2-3 - chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 pinches saffron and nutmeg (each)
- 4 cans corn (yellow, white or mix), 14.5 oz each
- 3 - stalks celery, including leaves
- 1 large onion
- 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 - whole carrots, unpeeled & not cut
- - salt & pepper
- 3 - hard-boiled eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 - egg, beaten
How To Make pa dutch chicken corn soup
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Step 1Boil chickens, celery stalks, carrots, and onion, some kosher salt & pepper in a stockpot with enough water to cover both. I add about 1 tsp of curry & some chicken bouillon at this point because I like a hearty broth. -
Step 2When chicken is cooked, remove chicken & refrigerate separately.
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Step 3Let broth cool down a bit to room temperature. Discard celery and onion. Refrigerate broth overnight.
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Step 4Next day, skim fat from top of broth.
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Step 5Heat broth over medium heat.
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Step 6Add chicken bouillon and cans of chicken broth. Heat to almost a boil.
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Step 7Remove skin and bones from chickens. Pick off meat in large chunks.
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Step 8Add chicken to the broth.
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Step 9Add a few pinches of saffron and nutmeg (optional). I also like to add some Hungarian paprika, dill, a bay leaf, a dash of onion powder, a dash of garlic powder, and a little celery seed.
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Step 10Add cans of corn. I drain all the cans of corn but one and add the corn juice to the soup. (NOTE: Most people use fresh corn on the cob or frozen corn for their chicken corn soup. I prefer the cans, just because I think it's better flavor.)
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Step 11Add more salt & pepper to taste. Let cook for about an hour and check taste again. This normally is where I will add more water if necessary, more chicken bouillon, salt, etc.
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Step 12Cut up hard-boiled eggs into bite-size pieces. Add to the pot.
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Step 13Continue cooking and add some fresh parsley snipped in small flakes. Once you are happy with the flavor, bring to a low boil and begin to prepare the rivels. My favorite part of chicken corn soup!!!
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Step 14Mix the flour, beaten egg, and milk well. I add a few teaspoons of the broth, too, just for flavor.
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Step 15Once it is very well blended, drop by very teeny balls into the soup. (Make sure broth is boiling). I take a fork & just let the rival batter fall off. They are not supposed to be pretty, so don't worry about rolling them or making them uniform! They will be a mishmash of yumminess. Don't make the mistake of getting lazy and making the rivals too large or they won't cook well. You can add some broken thin noodles instead if you want to skip this step.
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Step 16Continue stirring over boil for about 10/15 mins. The rivels should have a dough texture. I taste again, add more salt & pepper as needed, and another chicken bouillon, if necessary.
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Step 17Add fresh chopped parsley. Stir & serve.
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Step 18ENJOY!!! This is everyone's favorite soup in Central PA!
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
