Best Karens Chicken Soup Recipes

CHICKEN SOUP FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Place the chicken, celery, carrots, onions, parsnip (if using), parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a large soup pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to very low. Adjust the heat until the soup is "smiling": barely moving on the surface, with an occasional bubble breaking through. Cook uncovered, until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• When cool enough to handle, use tongs to transfer chicken from the pot to a container. Taste the broth and continue to simmer it until it is concentrated and tasty. Strain broth through a fine sieve (or a colander lined with cheesecloth) into a separate container. Discard all the solids from the strainer (or reserve the vegetables, chill and serve with vinaigrette, if you wish).
• Refrigerate chicken pieces and broth separately for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days), until a thick layer of yellow fat has risen to the top of the broth.
• When ready to finish the soup, use your fingers to separate chicken breast meat from bones and skin. Discard bones and skin. Use two forks to pull the breast meat apart into soft chunks, or use a knife and cut into bite-size pieces. (Reserve dark meat for another use.)
• Skim chicken fat from top of broth and set aside. Place 3 tablespoons of the fat in a soup pot with a lid. Add leeks, stir to coat, and heat over medium heat until leeks begin to fry. Then reduce the heat to a gentle sizzle and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add carrots, sprinkle with salt, stir, and cover the pot. Cook until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes more. (Keep in mind that vegetables will continue to cook in the soup.) Do not brown.
• Pour broth into pot with vegetables and heat to a simmer. Add noodles and simmer until heated through, soft and plumped with chicken broth. Add the breast meat, then taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste. For best flavor, soup should have some golden droplets of fat on top; if needed, add more chicken fat one teaspoon at a time.
• Serve immediately, in a tureen or from the pot, sprinkling each serving with herbs.

KAREN'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Put all this in the large pot in no special order except the broth and meat first. Chop all veggies finely, cube the squash. Cut kale into 2" squares.
• Add additional water to cover the ingredients in the pot. Boil and then simmer for 2-4 hours, add salt pepper and bouillon cubes to taste. Pull out all meat, skin and bones, chop all meat and put back in pot. Heat and serve!
• In addition you can serve this over noodles or throw barley in during the cooking process!

KAREN'S CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Steps:

• 1. In large pot, combine oil, chicken base, onions, and spices. Sauté until onions are soft and clear (about 5 minutes).
• 2. In a mixing bowl, combine Masa Harina with 1 quart water. Stir until all lumps dissolve. Add Masa Harina "rue" to sautéed onions, bring to a boil. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from Masa Harina.
• 3. Add tomatoes and remaining 3 quarts water to pot. Let mixture return to boil stirring occasionally.
• 4. Add American cheese (or Velveeta) to soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts.
• 5. Add chicken; heat through.
• 6. Ladle into BIG ;) soup bowls. Top with mixed cheese shreds, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips. Enjoy your Chili's Enchilada Soup!