Nothing says comfort quite as well as that first cup of chicken soup as the weather begins to turn chilly. Sometimes the simplest things bring the most pleasure in life. This is a great recipe to get cooking in the slow cooker and let go for a few hours!
For tackling this recipe in the tastiest way possible, go find the recipe for chicken stock in this book (recipe here) and follow the instructions for broth (cook the whole chicken to get your broth and cooked chicken meat all in one fell swoop). By doing this step the day before, you can also chill the broth some, and skim off any unwanted fat.
2 tablespoons (30 ml) bacon grease
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 quart (1 L) chicken stock (or broth)
4 cups (400 g) celery, chopped
4 cups (300 g) carrots, chopped
½ cup (12 g) Italian parsley, chopped
3–4 pounds (1814 g) (1½ kg) chicken meat, cooked and shredded
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, and add in bacon grease. When hot, stir in garlic and onions and sauté.
- When onions are slightly translucent, add stock (broth), celery, carrots, parsley, and chicken.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper and give one good stir.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
Plan Ahead—Have carrots, celery, and parsley chopped and bagged a day ahead. Especially if you choose to make the broth a day ahead, you’ll have time to chop while that is cooking.
Variations—Using turkey for the soup is really tasty too, and gives you something to do with all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey and the carcass.
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Chicken soup starts with bacon grease and a heap of celery and carrots, then simmers shredded chicken in stock for an hour until the kitchen smells like comfort. It is the first bowl worth making when the weather turns chilly. Simple ingredients, big pleasure - exactly how soup should be.
Pro Tips
- Make the broth from a whole chicken the day before - you get stock and cooked meat in one move and can skim the chilled fat.
- Bacon grease is the flavor secret here; it gives the base a smoky depth no neutral oil can match.
- Chop the carrots, celery, and parsley a day ahead and bag them - the plan-ahead note that makes weeknight soup possible.
- It is a natural slow cooker recipe; let it go for a few hours on low.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it with turkey?
Yes - the variation puts leftover Thanksgiving turkey and the carcass to exactly this use.
How long does chicken soup keep?
Four days refrigerated. The carrots keep soaking up broth, so add a splash of stock when reheating.
What makes this different from zoodle soup?
This is the old-fashioned version - dense with shredded chicken and root vegetables, no spiralized substitutes.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, and add in bacon grease.
- When hot, stir in garlic and onions and sauté.
- When onions are slightly translucent, add stock (broth), celery, carrots, parsley, and chicken.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper and give one good stir.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
