because food is medicine! my 100% homemade from broth to bowl 🐓❤️🩹 RECIPE:
(btw this took forever to type out, lmk if you want me to video the process instead)
Broth:
In no particular order, add 1 whole onion, 1 whole bulb garlic, 3-4 large carrots, half bunch of celery, a few sprigs each of fresh rosemary, parsley, and thyme, 3-4 bay leaves, 1 whole chicken (don’t forget to remove organ bag inside 🤢), and a generous sprinkle of salt. DOES NOT NEED TO BE PRETTY! I literally break the celery and carrots with my hands and throw the onion and garlic in with the skin. It all turns to mush. Cover with justtt enough water to cover everything.
Cook at a medium simmer for 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool enough to pull meat off. Set aside and put in fridge. Return carcass to pot. Simmer on low for 3-5 more hours.
Strain broth and dispose of squishy veggie and chicken remnants.
Soup:
If you use box broth, start here!
Wash the leftover veggies from the first steps as well as anything else you want to add. I like doing celery, carrot, onion, garlic, squash, potato and herbs (If you want to add noodles cook those separately and add at end with chicken).
Chop one onion and left over celery however you prefer (diced, chunky) and add in 5-8 whole garlic cloves. Cook with butter for a few minutes.
Add in broth, chopped parsley, 2 bay leaves, a few springs of rosemary and thyme. You’ll remove these before the leaves start to fall off.
At this point add salt to taste.
Add in chopped potato and squash. I like these to be big chunks. If you make them small like the carrots you can just add at the same time.
Add in carrots like ten minutes later. Cook on medium until veggies are fork tender for about 30-40 minutes.
Add in chicken and optional noodles. Enjoy!
What would you do if I told you that chicken soup from scratch is actually one of the easiest meals you can make? I’ve found that making soup entirely from homemade broth not only enhances the flavor but also boosts its nutritional benefits significantly. When I first started making chicken soup, I was intimidated by the idea of preparing broth from the whole chicken, but once I learned the simple steps, it became my go-to comfort food. Using the whole onion and garlic with skins, along with fresh rosemary, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, adds a depth of flavor that store-bought broth can't match. Plus, adding the salt generously early on helps to extract the seasoning better. Simmering the broth gently for 3-5 hours might seem like a long time, but it’s worth the wait! This slow cooking breaks down the chicken bones and veggies, releasing collagen and nutrients that are excellent for your immune system and gut health. I always save the pulled chicken to add back into the soup with noodles or extra veggies that your family loves. One tip I’d share is to keep the vegetable chunks larger when cooking so they don’t disintegrate into the broth before you’re ready. Also, cooking noodles separately ensures they don’t get soggy, so the soup stays fresh longer if you have leftovers. This recipe is a wonderful way to turn simple ingredients into a healing meal that’s full of comfort and nourishment. Whether you’re feeling under the weather or just craving a warm, hearty soup, making your own broth from scratch is surprisingly achievable and incredibly rewarding. I highly recommend trying it yourself—you might just find that food really is medicine!
