Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

preston's grandmother's chicken soup

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Ellen Gwaltney Bales
Indianapolis, IN

This recipe, as near as he can remember, was handed down from Preston's Grandmother Silverberg. He recalls her chicken soup as being "sheer Heaven." 02-10-2018

(1 rating)
yield 6 - 8
prep time 15 Min
cook time 9 Hr 30 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For preston's grandmother's chicken soup

  • 3 - 4 lb
    whole chicken
  • 4 qt
    water
  • 1 lg
    onion, cut in quarters
  • 3
    carrots, cut in thirds
  • 4 stalk
    celery, cut in thirds
  • 1 or 2 clove
    garlic, whole
  • 1 Tbsp
    coarse kosher salt
  • 1 tsp
    whole peppercorns
  • 2 lg
    bay leaves
  • 1 bunch
    italian parsley
  • 1 bunch
    fresh dill
  • 3 c
    dry egg noodles

How To Make preston's grandmother's chicken soup

  • Whole chicken after giblets have been removed
    1
    If chicken contains giblets, remove them.
  • Chicken in pot of water with foam forming on top
    2
    Place the whole chicken into a large pot filled with water, completely covering the chicken, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and allow chicken to simmer.
  • 3
    When foam begins to form on the top of the water, carefully remove it with a slotted spoon and discard. Add more water to the pot to make sure the whole chicken is covered.
  • Vegetables added to soup
    4
    Add the remaining vegetables and seasonings to the pot, cover and allow to simmer for about 2 hours, until the chicken is tender.
  • Chicken and vegetables transferred to a clean pot and allowed to cool
    5
    Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a clean pot or a cutting board to cool. Pour the broth from the pot into another clean pot, through a strainer. Discard any remaining seasonings or small chunks of vegetables. Broth should be clear.
  • Broth refrigerated for 6-8 hours, allowing
    6
    Cover the broth and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours, or until the fat rises to the surface and hardens.
  • Hardened fat which has been skimmed from cooled broth, called
    7
    Skim the hardened fat off and save it in a jar for future use. This skimmed fat is called "schmaltz," and it can be used in which to fry the chicken skins for a chip-like snack.
  • 8
    After the chicken is cooled, remove the skin and save or discard. Pull the meat off the chicken, shred and set aside. Discard the bones.
  • Chicken, noodles and vegetables returned to pot of skimmed broth
    9
    Chop the vegetables into smaller pieces and place them into a large pot, along with the chicken broth and the noodles. Over medium high heat, bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
  • 10
    Add the chicken meat to the soup and continue to simmer until completely heated. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Chicken soup ready to be served
    11
    Use more fresh parsley and/or dill to garnish soup. Serve and enjoy!
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