Italian Chicken Soup

by guidoscucina

Prep time: 3:15 Overall time: 3:45

Servings: 3 quarts

INGREDIENTS

Ingredienti


1 whole fryer chicken
8 fresh roma (pear) tomatoes, cut in half
4 - 5 celery stalks, sliced (about 1/2" slices)
4 carrots, sliced (about 1/2" slices)
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, pressed to remove peel, but whole
Fresh oregano, basil, dill, rosemary, thyme -- about "that" much. (I don't measure)
2 bay leaf leaves
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp saffron
Orzo noodles, 1 oz per person eating soup
Fresh grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare chicken: Remove gizzards, etc. Wash it inside and out. Keep skin on -- the fat from the skin adds flavor. (Don't use an "oven stuffer" type of chicken; it's much too fatty and has additives that sour the soup.)

Put chicken in soup pot, and fill pot with water until chicken is almost covered. Put on stove on high heat.

If the chicken is cheap and not really that fatty, I may add a cube of chicken bullion for flavor. If you use a Perdue chicken (or another variety) that is really fatty, you don't need the bullion. The fat adds the flavor.

The water is heating during the time you cut up the veggies and add them. By the time all ingredients are added, the water is almost boiling. Turn down the flame to low. Don't boil!

Stir all ingredients together, slowly simmer about 3 hours. (I stir about every 20 minutes during the 3-hour cooking time, and turn the chicken over about an hour into the process. After that, the chicken is so cooked it falls apart, so turn it over while it is still in one piece.)

CHEF COMMENTS

Try my homemade Italian Chicken Soup. It is guaranteed to cure any illness and fill your tummy

Tagged: italian, soups add tags

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