Do you put chicken soup mix in your chicken soup?

anon

Thu, Dec 20 2007, 10:08 pm

only1 wrote:

And for those who don't use the mix - do you find that you have to use pieces of chicken rather then bones?

Are you asking this question to find out if whole pieces of chicken will add more flavor than bones?

Because I think the answer is "no"....it's the bones that give the soup the flavor. I sometimes like to make the soup with pieces of chicken anyway, because I like the chicken.

I don't add soup mix, and I found that the main trick to a flavorful soup is to have tons of bones and veggies in the water. It's all about the ratio.

Also, lots of zucchini and sweet potato give it a yummy sweetish flavor.

And a GREAT addition to the soup is FRESH dill. It really adds a delicious fresh flavor, and it makes the soup look better too.

All that, plus the right amount of salt and pepper should give you a delicious soup.

louche

Thu, Dec 20 2007, 10:19 pm

I cannot tell a lie. On very rare occasions if the soup is really watery and tasteless--which it almost never is b/c I cook the soup for hours and hours and put in tons and tons of veggies, but let's say I had the flu that week and didn't go shopping--or if there's not enough soup to feed the masses--then I'll add a can or two of clear chicken broth, which I keep in stock at all times for emergency medicinal purposes. (DH or DC comes home with a miserable cold, you're not going to start cleaning a chicken and give them soup 6 hours later. besides, soup is always better the next day and better still the day after that.)

Soup mix? for shabbos soup? are you crazy? Only a tablespoon or two, if absolutely necessary, for pareve soups during the week, b/c you have to have something to substitute for the chicken broth that the recipe calls for.

Twizzlers

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 11:05 am

I use drumstix in the soup... I dont like boiled chicken but its just enough for ds to eat and to flavor. I also use tons of veggies, and salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoning spice....and let it cook allllll day

greenfire

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 12:16 pm

we eat the chicken and veggies with the soup in the same bowl ... hearty and nice ... I do eliminate the skin and half the bones (usually discard the breast bones with all the tiny pieces) - but I think the bones help it flavor some ...

louche

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 1:14 pm

greenfire wrote:

but I think the bones help it flavor some ...

and if you throw in a little lemon juice or vinegar, it helps some of that precious calcium dissolve into the soup and make it that much more nitritious.

batya_d

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 1:20 pm

MiracleMama wrote:

GR wrote:

I used to use only bones until the bones got annoying in the soup

Don't you strain all the "stuff" out?

I learned a great trick to make chicken soup if anyone is interested. I make it in one of those huge pots that come with a pasta insert. When the soup is done cooking I lift out the pasta insert and voila! Nice clean broth.

MiracleMama, I love this idea. Thank you!

malkie

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 1:40 pm

I use a chicken carcass in cheesecloth (so there is nothing to strain out), plus parsnip, turnip, sweet potato, onions, celery & carrots (and sometimes zucchini).

After cooking it for 4+ hours, it tastes amazing! Then I take out the chicken carcass because I find it gets too savory tasting if I leave the bones in on the blech, or when reheating (if not Shabbos).

ArthurDent

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 2:01 pm

I was just going to ask this specific question!!!

I just added chicken soup mix to my soup. I have been making soup every week for two years now and have tried a thousand different variations. I've heard that bones were better, so I once bought bones from a butcher in Israel. I put in probably the equivalent of four chickens' worth of bones and the soup didn't taste chicken-y.

I usually use one whole chicken, though once I used two whole chickens, and my soup didn't taste chicken-y.

I usually cook for 4-5 hours and the chicken is falling all over the place and the bones are so so soft, but it still didn't taste chicken-y. (I still cook about this long, but I've learned to wrap my chicken in a cheesecloth so that I can lift the whole chicken out just before serving.)

What in the world am I doing wrong?

1. I am using an 8 qt. stockpot which is 1/2 to 3/4 full of water.
2. I do use veggies, though they vary week to week. Onions, celery, carrots, turnip, parsnip, kohlrabi, etc. Sometimes I also have matzo balls.
3. Despite the fact that I have to add a bit of soup mix, my soup tastes fabulous. People rave about it and have 2nds and 3rds. I just wish I could do it without the mix. I have tried delicious soup at my friends' homes, but just can't seem to duplicate it.

Please help.

Esther23

Fri, Dec 21 2007, 2:15 pm

No, I do not put in soup mix. I'm surprised no one mentioned ginger. Ginger gives the soup a delicious taste (you can also put in powdered ginger). The trick to tasty soup is make sure there isn't too much water in your pot. That was my problem for a while and my soup had no taste. First put in your chicken and vegetables, then add the water to barely cover it, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and ginger and after 2 hours it tastes delicious, you don't really need more. (of course the longer you cook it the stronger flavor it has).

louche

Mon, Dec 24 2007, 9:32 am

ArthurDent wrote:

I have tried delicious soup at my friends' homes, but just can't seem to duplicate it.

.

Maybe your friends are lying and really adding something like soup mix that they're not telling you about.

Maybe what you think is a "chickeny" taste isn't chicken at all but canned chicken broth, or MSG.

Maybe it's the chickens you're buying. How a chicken tastes depends on its age, both age at schechting as well as how frsh it is-, and what it's been fed.

Maybe you use too much water or too little salt.

Maybe you serve the soup too soon. I wouldn't dream of serving soup--any soup--the day it's made, and usually not even the following day. Soup has to mature. The longer it stands the better it is.

My motto: "I will serve no soup before its time."

MommyLuv

Mon, Dec 24 2007, 9:45 am

Arthur, maybe you need more veggies. That's really what helps the flavor develop.

My essential veggies are 2 onions, 6 garlic cloves, 4 celery stalks, 5-6 carrots, a sweet potato, a turnip or parsnip, and 2 zuchini. Sometimes I add dill, but it's not necessary. Fresh ginger adds a kick too as Esther mentioned above.

I use the same size pot as you mentioned and let it simmer for minimum of 3-4 hours. It has a deep golden color and tastes awesome.

and ditto everything louche said. You really don't need anything artificial if you have the right ingredients and let it cook long enough. Try it! Wink

Last edited by MommyLuv on Mon, Dec 24 2007, 9:53 am; edited 1 time in total

DefyGravity

Mon, Dec 24 2007, 9:45 am

I always use chicken consoumme. I don't like using real chicken in the soup, because IMO, it's a waste of money. I also put in some cooking sherry.

Last edited by DefyGravity on Mon, Dec 24 2007, 9:50 am; edited 1 time in total

Batya

Mon, Dec 24 2007, 9:47 am

I fund that the secret to a really yummy chicken soup is cooking it with a whole chicken. I cook it for about 2hrs,otherwise I think it looses its richness. I never add soup mix into my ch.soups. We are not big lovers of veggies in the ch soups so I add just1-2 carrots and onion for flavor. I cook it with matza balls and sometimes add dill in the end. Lately I started cooking thin noodles separately and serving them to whoever wants,with the soup. We love the way it tastes Smile

JewishMother18

Mon, Dec 24 2007, 10:09 am

OK I'm setting myself up for a bashing here but here goes...

My DH and I don't like "real" chicken soup. We find the taste too strong when it's made with chicken. For years I've used soup powder and loads of vegetables and he still insists that mine's better than anyone elses. I also add soya sauce to it.

I cook my kneidlach in the soup and I make them with ginger but apart from that I don't add anything else.

DefyGravity

Mon, Dec 24 2007, 10:15 am

Jewish Mother, I agree. While I do enjoy chicken soup that's made with real chicken, it's not enough of a difference that it's worth it (for me) to spend the money on real chicken. I also don't like the little blobs of yuckiness that comes from the chicken. I find that less soup is wasted when I don't use chicken.