Sunday, February 3, 2013

Hot Water Soup, Also Known as Chicken Broth




Really, what else do you put in a hot water soup?! :) 
Occasionally, I make a hot water soup too, although my hot water soup has a little bit more than just hot water, and it is my husband's favorite soup to have in the winter: the colder it gets, more often he asks for it! Often times just plain chicken broth (a.k.a. hot water soup) and a toast is all he wants. 



Sometimes I get "creative" and add a potato and a carrot with some herbs to it. But whether you add "extras" to it or not, the good chicken broth is a meal on it's own. 
It takes some time to make a good stock, but it is just time, not a work as you let it slowly cook  for several hours (6-8, even 10-12), then leave overnight in the refrigerator. The next day you'll be praised with flavor of the most delicious chicken broth. 



Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, a good stock starts with good ingredients, in this case a good natural chicken.  
A few years back we did experiment with a few chickens: one store bought natural (#1), another one was organic (#2), and a third was from a local farmer (#3), who was selling his free range chickens (for this one I had to be on a waiting list!).  
I made three stocks, using the same ingredients (except chickens), same cooking time. And can you guess which stock was the most popular and was gone before it even cooled down? If you picked #3, you were absolutely right. The color and rich flavor of the stock was amazing. The runner up was #1, made from natural store bought chicken (from Whole Foods): it's flavor was milder, yet it had good body. 
Chicken stock made of organic chicken was too plain to our tastes even with all the vegetables and herbs used, however it was still much better than the one you get from a box or a can. Waaay better, and worth all the effort.





Chicken Broth (Stock)

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 chicken carcasses or 1 good quality whole chicken
  • 2 carrots, pilled
  • 1 medium or large onion (peel and cut it in half or leave it whole)
  • 2 celery ribs
  • 2 parsley roots, peeled (if you can't find it, use one celery root, peeled and quartered)
  • 1 parsnip, peeled and cut in half
  • 1/2 fennel bulb (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 2-3 clove garlic (optional)
  • 4-5 parsley stems (no leaves)
  • 2-3 dry dill "hay" (dry whole dill plant, that is usually used for pickling); dry dill seeds can be used instead
  • 4-5 dry lovage leaves (optional)
  • 6-7 liters (1,5 gallon) cold water

Parsley root


Place chicken carcasses in a big stock pot, add water and bring it to a simmer (do not let it boil!), skim all the foam (scum) from the top (it will take you about 40-60 minutes, be patient). You do not have to stand there, just attend to it every 15-20 minutes, skim the scum, and come back to it in another 15-20 minutes.  Then add all other ingredients, except bay leaf and simmer for 6-7 hours. Once again, simmer, do not bring it to a rapid boil (rapid boil will result in a grey cloudy stock!). Walk by the simmering stock every couple of hours to skim (if necessary) and add some water, if needed, although I rarely do it as I want my stock to have more gelatinous  body and reach flavor.


Dill "hey" (left), dill seeds (center), dry lovage (right)

After 6-7 hours of simmering the deep fragrant smell will invite you to check it out, and now you can add a bay leaf.  The reason I add it in the end is because bay leaf can make your stock bitter in a very short time. Hence, add it in the end of cooking for 20-30 minutes and then discard it. 

Strain stock into another large pot, and refrigerate overnight. Next day remove solidified fat and store it in refrigerator for 2-3 days, or freeze for up to three months. Once again, I prefer to freeze it in a wide mouth glass jars. I tried different containers: BPA-free plastic, Ziploc bags, etc, and I can taste and smell plastic in my broth after de-frosting.

Now you can do with your broth/stock whatever you want: reduce it to make a velvety sauce, make a soup, cook some risotto, or just drink it plain with some fresh herbs and a little salt.




You don't have to use all listed ingredients. It is my preference and I usually have it all. But when I run out of fennel or can't find parsley root, I still make a tasty chicken stock. My mother, for example, uses only five ingredients: chicken, onion, bay leaf, dill "hay", and parsley root. And her stock is the most flavorful I have ever had (I am being subjective here, I know). :) 
The secret to any good stock is to cook it long and cook it slow.  


Hot water soup, my way! :)

Add a dash of Love to it, and you would have a cup  full of healing power and health benefits. 

See you,
Marina




53 comments:

  1. Yum. Thank you for the chicken stock recipe : )

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    1. Thanks Sheila! I need to make another one already. :)

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  2. I like the picture of the herbs! And it's very timely as we're both sick at the moment and chicken soup is definitely what we need at the moment :)

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    1. Thank you Lorraine. So sorry to hear that you both are sick, I wish I could bring you some of it to heal. My husband is sick too, and I had to make chicken broth for him three times last week as that's only food he could have. Time consuming, yes, but what one wouldn't do for someone you love... :) Get well soon!

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  3. I love having my own stock on hand.
    Very nice presentation Marina:)

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    1. Thank you! I love having my own stock too. It's a food on it's own, I love warming us with a cup of good chicken broth! :)

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  4. I agree with you, there is nothing better. I occasionally add a little rice and lemon juice for a nice flavorful bowl of soup.

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    1. Hi Karen, thanks for your comment. I made another one today with rice, carrots (for color), and sorrel (for acidity). :)

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  5. That looks so flavoursome and perfect for cooking :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    1. Thanks Uru. It is also perfect for warming up! :)

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  6. I love a simple broth...especially if I don't feel good. This sounds wonderful! Sweet hugs!

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    1. Thanks Diane! Yep, a cup of this would warm your body and soul. :)

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  7. That is cool about the 3 different chickens! I love making my own stock .. .it really is nothing like the canned stuff and so much better for you! Your hot water story had me laugh ... my mom drinks straight hot water all the time! Like instead of making tea with hot water, she will just drink the water! But, she does get a lot of fluids in during the day :)

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    1. Thanks Jane! I had a co-worker who would drink hot water all the time. Sometimes she would add some lemon to it, but most of the time she just had hot water. It was quite odd, but that's what she liked. :)

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  8. Always have homemade broth/stock in the freezer. Agree, it is really easy to make and the rewards are huge.

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    1. Norma, you are right: it is very easy to make. Although many people are intimidated by the process.

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  9. Beautiful broth Marina, the color is perfect. I am also have homemade broth in my freezer. Different kind. I use it a lot for sauces or for soups.

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    1. Thank you, my friend! Are you going to post the recipe for your broth? I have about 4-5 versions of broth in my freezer: mushroom, vegetables, brown chicken, white chicken, brown beef, and fish. Actually it makes it 6 this time. :) Love to have it handy!

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  10. Oh, boy, I would love some hot water soup tonight! Yours has many similarities to the recipe I use...and I really need to make a batch soon! Thanks for the delicious inspiration~

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    1. Thank you Lizzy for your kind comment. With my husband being under the weather I feel like I am operating a chicken broth company. Sometimes it is the only "medicine" your soul needs.

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  11. Now that is dedication - 6-7 hours plus storing in glass. i am convinced though and will try to cook mine longer in future. I tend to only cook it for a couple of hours. I've never tried adding dill either and wil have to incorporate that as well.

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    1. When the weather is colder, I even cook it longer: it makes a wonderfully flavored broth. Thanks for your comment, Liz!

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  12. That's great looking chicken stock. I love to make my own but I just don't get around to it as much as I would like to xx

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    1. With warmer weather approaching I am on a mission of stocking up my freezer: in a hot summer in is the last thing I want to do to heat my kitchen for hours! :)

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  13. Hi Marina! Your chicken stock looks great and I bet (well I don’t have to bet) it’s full of flavor! I have to admit that I’m still intimated by the whole process. I think I will start off making vegetable stock and then work my way towards a chicken stock. I have to start small you know. Making homemade stock as well as homemade pizza dough are both on my bucket list for 2013, so let’s hope that I accomplish one of them ☺ xoxo, Jackie

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    1. Jackie, we need to team up: I am intimidated by baking process (sweets only. Anything savory I can bake with no fear). I wish I could show you how easy it is to make flavorful stock. The best part is that you can neglect it for several hours (meaning not watching it), and still get perfect results. :)

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  14. Yeah chicken No 3 was without any doubt the best for broth. I'm not a big fan of this soup, but from time to time, especially when I'm ill my mum serves it to me and it works miracles. It's some kind of magic trapped in this soup :-)

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    1. Hi Marina, thanks for visiting my blog and for your birthday wishes. In the same time I want to apologize for not including the English version earlier. This week was sooo crazy that I just needed a little bit of rest. But the English version is already where it should be :-)

      And by the way Marina, have you ever considered including e-mails feed option on your blog. In such a way I could be automatically informed about every single post on your blog and I would not miss a thing. How about that...?

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    2. Hi Joanna, thank you for your feedback! You can subscribe by e-mail at the bottom of each post. Please, try it and let me know if it doesn't work. I am actually going to do it myself to double check. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope this week is easier for you! :)

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    3. but this subscription works for comments to the post and I'm not sure if I will get feedback about your new posts this way and I was thinking about post subscritpion, so that everytime you post I get an e-mail :-)

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    4. I love this option and I use it a lot with my favourite blogs, because I don't waste time for visiting while someboedy is not posting anything and still I don't miss a thing from novelties :-D

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    5. The Follow by e-mail works for posts, and it was all the way at the bottom of the page. I moved it to the top now, on the right, so you can subscribe! :) Thanks for letting me know, and thank you for being a good friend! Hope it works for you now. If you have any problems again, please, do let me know.

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    6. Perfect Marina. Now it should work as desired:-) Now I'm sure I will not miss a thing from your new posts and I will have them delivered in the same way fresh buns should be delivered in the morning for breakfast :-)

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  15. Hi Marina - I don't think I ever ate stock just on its own before. I guess I wouldn't mind it at all if it had a little bit of potato, carrot in it, or maybe torn up pieces of dough, boiled in the broth... just on its own though, hmm - I'd have to try it I think before making up my mind about it.

    I know too well the benefits of a good stock though when making soups and other dishes! I bet the #3 stock tasted fantastic, although I'm sure they were all wonderful!

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    1. Hi Charles, if you have not, please, do try some day. It has reach flavor, with a little salt (good salt) and a few parsley leaves it is a meal on it's own. Especially in the winter, cold winter. My husband was under the weather this week, and I had to make it three times for him as this was the only meal he could and wanted to eat.
      Torn up pieces of dough... Charles, this awakes my childhood memories: my grandmother use to do it for us. It was her signature meal for kids (we all loved it). Thanks for your comment! :)

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  16. It's mid-Winter and definitely soup time. Love the scent of a big pot of chicken soup on the stove and a cup of hot broth on a cold Winter's night is the best! I remember you wrote that your stock was allowed to simmer about twice as long as ours. I bet yours is very flavorful. I so need to let mine go longer so I can taste the difference. I just have to learn to be a bit more patient. :)

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    1. Hi John, I was just responding to the previous comment about my childhood memories and my grandmother. That what she did in the winter: she had a big pot of chicken stock on her wood burning stove and would make the most delicious soup with pieces of dough for us, kids. I wonder if slow cooking on the wood burning stove made her broth so delicious? Slow simmering all day long would extract all flavor into the broth, making is almost silky and fragrant, while warming up the kitchen and the soul. Mmm, I would love a cup of that broth...

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  17. it has been raining all night and there were thunderstorms here in the morning , your post could not have come at a better time!
    Once you make your own broth there is no turning back really, the store bought stuff does not stand a chance

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    1. Sawsan, thank you for your kind words. I guess a cup of warm chicken broth puts a smile on many faces, and warms up many souls.
      yes, that store bought stuff has no taste to me at all. What do they do with it?!

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  18. You are absolutely right regarding the quality of the ingredients Marina! I love your stock and I wish I had a bowl right now that I am under the weather.

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    1. Aww, sorry to hear that you are under the weather... I hope you feel better soon. I wish I lived closer to you: I would've brought to you a bowl of this broth for you to heal faster...

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  19. It's such a pleasure to read about other bloggers' ways to prepare chicken stock. Every single person makes it in a different way! Not to mention the country... I prepare chicken stock constantly in winter (of course it's slightly different from yours). (I have now a new one, but haven't finished yet the one from last week). I am thrilled to learn you also use parsley root! When I don't have it, my stock is somehow sad :-( , so whenever I see it on the market, I freeze it or dry it. (It's not easy to get here).
    Stock as a soup brings back my childhood memories... I no longer do it. I always add some other ingredients, but I still love tasting my stock and appreciating how good it is.

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    1. Hi Sissi, yes, every home cook has his or her's way to make a broth. My mother makes it with just a few ingredients, but it is so delicious I can drink it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Parsley does miracles to the stock, I think. When I don't have parsley root, I use a bunch of parsley stems (no leaves). I know, it is not easy to get parsley root here either, so I just grow my own. :)

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  20. Great looking stock! I almost have some in the freezer. I usually make mine with fewer ingredients than you do, but I'll bet yours tastes better - I'll definitely have to try your version. Good stuff - thanks.

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    1. Hi John, I don't think ingredients matter too much, my mother uses just a few, and her broth is delicious. I believe good stock is all about timing and not letting it to boil. Long and slow is a formula for a good chicken (or any other) stock/broth. Thanks for your comment! :)

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  21. Like the chicken stock...thanks for the recipe and sure this broth is very useful to have it handy in the freezer.
    Have a great week Marina!

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    1. Thank you Juliana! It does come handy to have a few jars in the freezer, especially in the summer, when cooking for a long time is not possible at all in our area. :)

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  22. That chicken stock looks delicious and warming!! How fabulous you got to make it previously with chicken from a local farmer.

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    1. Hi Jess, this one was made from chicken from the local farmer too, well, there were carcasses but still from chicken at the local farm, just 16 miles to the North from where we live. And those chicken are free range too! :)

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  23. Hi Marina! Ohhhhh your chicken stock looks so good! I love looking at your ingredients list. What a good stock you make - such a precious flavorful broth... I love both of your soup bowls. Very cute!

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    1. Thank you Nami! This week I feel like I am working full time at the chicken broth factory because I made it three times already! My husband was under the weather and all he wanted was a cup of this chicken broth. I guess it does have some healing power... :)

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  24. Hot Water Soup?...that is too funny! I love chicken broth, and always, have some in the freezer to combine it with vegetables, and/or making other dishes out of them. So many uses...endless list of them. Top on the list favorite of course, is making a nice RISOTTO with the homemade chicken stock.
    I love yours so much...reminds me of mine when I make it. I think you meant PEALED...instead of "pilled" carrots and parsnips? At any rate I knew what you meant; just a different spelling!

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! Oops, thanks for pointing out on misspelled words. Happens all the time no matter how many times I read it! :) Gotta fix that...

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Your warm comments put a smile on my heart.