Chicken Soup

Chicken soup has long been known as the remedy for colds in many cultures. My Polish mother did believe it and always cooked it whenever we were ill with flu and colds. Recently, it has been shown by some scientific studies that it really could have medicinal value but it’s not yet conclusive. However, we do know that chicken soup and the vegetables it contains has lots of healthy nutrients and tastes really good.

Stock can be made with aromatics and any raw chicken parts, the best being feet, necks and wings because of their high gelatine content.
For a hearty and flavoursome broth, add also chicken thighs or legs.
For a clear and clean broth, use chicken breast.
Stock can also be made with leftover carcass of roast chicken.
But the best of the best is making broth from a whole raw chicken.

There are many types of chicken soups but here are the 2 classic ones:

*For a real good European style chicken soup you need to add to the stock chicken pieces plus vegetables and aromatics: carrot, celery, parsley root, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick…), with sometimes additions of pasta, noodles, dumplings, rice and barley.

*For a classic Asian style chicken soup, you need to add to the stock chicken pieces plus vegetables and aromatics: greens (bokchoy…), carrot, mushroom, bamboo shoots, ginger, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, sichuan peppercorns, coriander, soy sauce, miso… and last but not least noodles (rice, Soba, egg noodles…). The latter are cooked alone then added when serving.