Chef Monsta: I cook, therefore I blog

What kind of Jewish girl would I be if I did not know how to make a proper chicken soup? Last week I felt the onset of a cold. I made some of this magic penicillin and I swear I was cured. Take that, doctors.

Ingredients:

Chicken bones/necks/wings
1 bullion cube
7 cups of water
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 bunch of dill, tied in a bundle (w/ rubber band)
2 carrots, chopped
2 yellow zucchini, chopped
1 white onion, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
a bit of lemon zest

Put a bit of vegetable oil in your large pot. Throw in the chicken parts and season with salt and pepper. The reason I use chicken parts (like necks, bones, or wings) instead of breasts or thighs is because the bones of the chicken are where the flavor lives. Therefore, the more bones you throw into your soup, the richer the flavor will be. Plus, chicken necks are like $1 for a package. YAY!

When the chicken begins to sizzle a little bit, add about 2 cups of vegetable stock, just so that it covers the meat.

Slice up your soup veggies: here we have celery, carrot, and baby squash. But my mom uses parsnips and turnips, and you can also use zucchini, or even potato. Anything goes.

I add about 7 cups of water. Basically, the bigger the pot you are using, the more water is needed.

I also throw in one chopped onion.

This is a bouillon cube. It is essentially a dehydrated broth in cube form. They contain more salt and flavor than making your own broth, and are very cheap. Throw that bad boy in your soup.

You can use any herbs you want in chicken soup, but dill is my favorite (parsley is a second fave). I tie the dill into a bunch with a rubber band so that my broth stays clear and doesn’t have floating bits everywhere (lazy version of bouquet garnis).

Add the dill, and a ton of salt and pepper. The more salt and pepper you add now, the stronger the broth flavor will become.

A bit of lemon zest is fun to add, gives the soup some tartness.

The soup should cook for about 1.5-2 hours. Here are some pics of the soup boiling.

And of course, the soup tastes better the next day!! Let those flavors strengthen overnight.

Enjoy.