Chicken Soup Recipe

 This is the recipe when I die, I want everyone to remember. So here it is, Ashley's delicious chicken vegetable soup. This recipe is to be followed to a TEE. NO substitutions. Every detail is accounted for. 

I have been perfecting this recipe for over a decade. Serve it with warm cornbread and it's the best meal. It's better the next day and can be frozen or eaten several days in a row. I make it on rainy days, when I want a healthy meal or just comfort food. It's a house favorite. The kids start off only wanting cornbread, grow a little, then will drink the broth and eventually eat the soup with the rest of us. 

Follow these directions step by step. This is a multiple step process, not a dump and go soup. It should be ready in 1.5hours from start to finish. 

Ingredients:

1 package chicken thighs (with skin and bones) 4 or 6 pack (Important. Do not use anything but this chicken as the bones and fat give the soup it's flavor).

1 28oz container of chicken stock

1 can of corn (drained)

1 can of diced tomatoes 

1 can sliced carrots (drained) (Do not use fresh, canned sliced carrots are soft, fresh takes too long to soften)

4 Idaho gold potatoes (Yes, these potatoes only, not the red ones) peeled and diced into bite size pieces

1 yellow onion chopped

1 chopped green pepper

1 bunch parsley (chopped fine) (Just the leaves, not the stems)

1 tablespoon garlic, measure with your heart, I love garlic. I keep a jar in fridge

1 poblano pepper (broiled, steamed, peeled and chopped) - More details below

1/3 cup Pastini (Tempting to use more, but do not as it will overwhelm your soup and absorb all the liquid)

Salt/pepper to taste

Cumin/Paprika/ Garlic powder/ Onion powder - measure with your heart, about a teaspoon

Olive oil

Items needed:

Large soup pot

Small frying pan

tongs

grocery bag on counter for trash, clean as you go.

spoon for stirring and tasting

Ziplock bag

Cutting board

knife

Small glass bowl

Blender (optional)

Step 1:

In a large pot, empty chicken stock and add water until 3/4 full. Turn heat on high. Once boiling, add chicken thighs plus generous amounts of salt/pepper.

While you are waiting for water to boil, slice open/ filet the poblano pepper and remove the seeds then drizzle with olive oil. Put on aluminum foil in the oven broiler. Broil for 10 minutes until charred and skin bubbled. Immediately put in a Ziplock bag to finish steaming. Once cooled, remove the skin by peeling with your fingers. Chop and set aside.

*Your body cannot digest the poblano skin, so if you skip this part, you will have an upset stomach. 

Step 2:

Chop onion and green pepper first. Heat olive oil on medium-low, add onions and green peppers plus salt/pepper and saute until onions are translucent (not caramelized, but half way there). About 10 minutes. Add garlic once done for about 30 seconds and then turn off heat and leave in pan. 

***OPTIONAL - For a less chunkier soup, I will blend the onions, green peppers and poblano with broth until liquified and pour into soup. It depends on my mood whether I do this or not. 

Step 3:

Peel and chop potatoes into bite sized pieces and add to boiling pot. Yes, in this order. Turn heat down to medium/high. 

Open cans of carrots/ tomatoes/ corn - add to pot. Also, a good time to tidy up work space using that grocery bag that is on the counter. 

Step 4:

Chop parsley and set aside. Measure out pastini and set aside

Step 5:

At this point, the chicken is almost done and you can turn heat down to medium-low. Add onions/green peppers and poblano (if you haven't liquified and already added) We had these half way through cooking once heat is turned down low because you don't want to overcook them as we already sauté/ boiled/steamed. 

Step 6:

After about 20-30 minutes on low, the chicken should be falling off the bones. Use your tongs to remove one by one shredding the meat off and adding back to the pot. Discard the bones/ skin. Keep one chicken bone in the pot for added flavor. 

Step 7

Add Pastini and parsley and cook on low for 10 more minutes or until cornbread is ready. Add more salt/ pepper to taste

*There will be grease/fat floating on surface from chicken skin. Some is good for flavor and too much is overwhelming. Use a paper towel to lay on top of the soup to lightly soak up the grease. I usually do this 2-3 times for the best consistency. 

This is when I would start cooking the cornbread. Once the cornbread was done, everything is ready to eat!

This soup is made with love. You are basically in the kitchen the whole time except for a small amount. I hope you enjoy and always think of the love I have for each of you when you eat it. 

Love, Mom