Chicken Broth Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1/2 apple
- 2 onions
- 3-5 garlic cloves
- Fresh herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Sage)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 stick butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 celery sticks with leaves
- 3-4 carrots with leaves
- Splash of white wine vinegar (approximately 1 tablespoon)
- broccoli stems (save the flowers for the soup)
- Salt & Pepper
NOTE: Any other vegetables can go in this, including parts of vegetables that you wouldn’t normally eat (like the ends of onions, zucchini or carrot tops). There are plenty of nutrients and flavor there!
Broth Instructions
First, roast the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the butter and olive oil and coat the chicken inside and out.
- Take the 1/2 apple and cut it into quarters.
- Do the same with 1/2 of one of the onions, then take the garlic, apple, herbs and onion and insert them into cavity of the bird.
- Generously salt and pepper the inside and outside of the bird.
- Place the chicken in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees.
- Roast for 1-2 hours, depending on size of the bird (typically 20 minutes per pound).
- After removing the chicken from the oven, let it rest for a few minutes.
- Once the chicken is cool enough. take the good meat off the chicken with your hands, and save it for the soup.
- Save the chicken bones for the broth.
NOTE: You can substitute leftover turkey for chicken in this recipe. Be sure to follow the appropriate instructions for prepping and heating the turkey, based on its size/weight.
Second, make the chicken and vegetable broth:
- In a large pot, sauté the onion, carrots and celery (all roughly chopped) on medium heat with a little olive oil for 2-5 minutes (or you can also use some of the chicken grease that you got from roasting the chicken).
- Add some fresh garlic cloves and sauté an extra 1-2 minutes.
- Add the rest of your vegetables, and place all the bones and what was inside the roasted chicken (apple, onion, etc.) into the pot, along with the fresh herbs and bay leaf.
- Sauté the contents of the pot for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add enough water to cover everything by at least 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat from boiling to simmering.
- Allow ingredients to simmer for 4-8 hours, adding water as needed to keep the pot contents covered.
- When finished, strain the broth and let it cool overnight. (The fats will rise to the top, and you can separate easily once chilled.) You should end up with 6-8 cups of chicken broth.
- Salt and pepper the broth to taste; you can also add whole peppercorns (10-12).
Chicken Vegetable Soup Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- Meat from the roasted chicken
- 2 onions (for fun, make one of them sweet!)
- Fresh herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Sage)
- 1 lime
- 4-8 cups of the prepared chicken and vegetable broth (from steps above)
- 1 -2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2-3 carrots
- 1 celery stick
- 1-2 jalapeños peppers (feel free to use bell peppers to avoid heat)
- 1 bay leaf
- Broccoli (chopped)
- Squash (chopped)
- Zucchini (chopped)
- Green beans
- 3-4 tomatoes
- 1-2 ears of corn, removed from the cob
- Small potatoes (can be red potatoes)
- Your other, favorite vegetables (whatever you want, really!)
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
Chicken Vegetable Soup Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrots, jalapeño peppers (all finely chopped) with some olive oil for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, bay leaf, and fresh herbs and sauté for and additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add the bulk of the vegetables (finely chopped potatoes, green beans, corn, and tomatoes), the chicken broth, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a slight boil, then reduce the heat and slow cook the soup for 30 minutes.
- Next add the “soft” vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, squash, etc.) and cook for 30 more minutes.
- Add the chopped parsley at the last minute.
- Salt and pepper to taste before serving.