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CB's The Best Chicken Soup

This delicious, flavorful and economical soup is perfect as a starter or main course. Serve over rice, noodles or on its own.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven or Stock pot
  • 1 Fine mesh strainer
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 medium sized cooking rack
  • serving bowls

Ingredients
  

For the Stock

  • 1 Whole Chicken carcass leftover from Roast Chicken
  • Chickens gizzards and neck bones
  • 2 carrots, unpeeled and halved
  • 1 large onion, unpeeled and quartered
  • 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 1-inch chuck of ginger, peeled
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 10 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • t tsp kosher salt

For the chicken

  • 4 chicken thighs, bone-in skin on
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder

For the Soup

  • 1 tbsp butter or CB's garlic herb butter or cooking oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick cubes
  • 1 Potato, peeled, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 quarts chicken stock
  • 2 tsp porcini powder
  • 2 corn tortillas, hand torn to pieces
  • 1 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup (298g)
  • 1/4 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, rough cut into small bites
  • 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
 

For the Chicken

  • Season the chicken thighs with the salt, sugar, pepper, garlic and onion powders and the Cajun seasoning. Coat thoroughly. Place thighs on a cooking rack and dry brine in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour or up to overnight. Bake on the rack with a tray set underneath in the oven at 275F or 135C for 60 to 90 minutes until internal temperature reads 165F or 74C. Carefully remove to a cutting board. Let cool before deboning, discarding the skin and hand shredding the meat. Set aside. Add bones to chicken stock.

For the Chicken Stock

  • Place a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat and coat with cooking oil. Add carcass, gizzards, onion, carrots, thyme, garlic, ginger, bouillon cube, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaves. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (3 quarts). Too much water will make the broth taste weak. Allow to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 2 to 3 hours. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface. Add a little more water if necessary to keep carcass, bones and veggies covered while simmering.
  • Carefully strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately, or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. The fat will rise to the top. Strain. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.

For the Soup

  • Place a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add fat from the stock and CB's garlic herb butter or butter or oil. Add onion, carrots, potatoes, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables are softened, but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add porcini powder, shredded tortillas, cream of chicken and soy sauce. Boil for 5 minutes. fold in the cooked chicken and continue to simmer for 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.