Soup-Palooza, Part Two

• “Not from a Box, Nor from a Can” Chicken Broth
• White Bean & Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage

Did you know that January is National Soup Month?  That is good news to one particular individual here in the Hayden household…my husband would eat soup e-v-e-r-y single day!  So this month I have committed to serving soup at one meal per day for the entire month (ummm, yeah…he’s a happy camper!).  And I am taking YOU along for the ride, too!

Here on our GCH:WoYP, where Monday’s are focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes, we will be promoting soup, soup, and soup for the next four weeks.  Each week we will explore the basics along with a delicious recipe for you to serve to your loved ones.

So, this week we are starting from scratch!  Homemade chicken broth.  Oh, yeah!  Now don’t be afraid, please…this is so simple, I promise!  One way to make this easy to fit into a busy schedule would be to start it as you are making your supper preparations.  Then the broth can simmer away, and you can finalize it after supper.  Just a thought!

This recipe makes a vat…well, not quite a vat…it makes 8+ quarts.  A quart of soup is the size of those aseptically sealed boxes from your grocery store (or approximately 2 cans).  Most soup recipes that feed 4-6 people require two quarts of broth.  Now you can have delicious, nutritious, chemical-free chicken broth handy right in your refrigerator or freezer!  Let’s get started!

“Not From a Can, Nor From a Box” Chicken Broth     

Makes 8+ quarts

1 8-9# ‘oven stuffer’ whole chicken, cut-up (or buy cut-up chicken)*
1 large sweet onion (Vidalia), rough chopped
4-5 stalks of celery WITH the leaves, cut in 3-4″ sized pieces
1/4# carrots (3-4 whole carrots, or ½ bag baby carrots), rough chopped
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt

4-5 sprigs each of fresh thyme and dill, optional
9 quarts of water; I use filtered; use whatever you would drink 😉

Use the largest pot you own.**  I use a 12 quart-sized pot. You don’t want to fill your pot up to the top; this needs a little room to move around while it is boiling.

Carefully rinse the cut-up chicken (the better the chicken is rinsed…the less yuck floating around in your broth).  Then place the chicken pieces along with the vegetables, and the seasonings, into the pot and pour water over them all.  Cover pot and heat on high ‘til just coming to a boil; reduce heat and partially cover.  You want the soup to be gently boiling.  You can occasionally skim off the yucky stuff from the top of the broth.  Let everything simmer away for a half hour; remove breastmeat to cool.  Continue cooking an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove pot from heat.  Take dark meat sections and add to breastmeat which has cooled.  You can strain your broth, if preferred; it all depends on just how clear you would like the broth to be.  CAREFULLY pour, or ladle, the broth along with the cooked veggies into storage containers, leaving enough room to add the chicken.  Cut up (or shred) the chicken into bite-size pieces; keep every last one of all the little bits!  Add back into the broth.

Let cool ‘til container is no longer HOT to the touch; refrigerate.  When thoroughly cooled, I would suggest discarding the layer of fat that will have solidified on the top of the container. This broth freezes very well.  I usually keep 2 quarts in the refrigerator (use within 1 week or so) and the rest in the freezer.

* Toss the wings in the trash…not even worth cooking.  I cut each of the breastmeat pieces in half; that way they don’t overcook.  You want tender meat in the end (but throw the bones into the pot, too).

**Should you not have a pot this size, or cannot beg or borrow one, just reduce all of the ingredients by half and proceed, ok?  Don’t let that stop you!

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Now, to actually USE that healthy but oh-so-yummy broth…

White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage 

Makes 6 servings

8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth, divided
(1) 12 oz pkg italian chicken sausage, sliced diagonally ½” thick
2+ tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion (Vidalia), sliced
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup white wine, or additional broth
2 cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1+1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I used lemon pepper)
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated if possible
1 lemon

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot (4 quart) over medium heat. Add sausage slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is just starting to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add onion slices and additional olive oil, if necessary.  Cook, stirring often, until onions and sausage are slightly browned, about 10 minutes more.  Reduce heat to low; stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Remove sausage, onions and garlic; set aside.  Pour wine into pot and scrape up brown bits stuck to the bottom. Let simmer for a minute or two.  Meanwhile, put 3 cups beans and 2 cups broth into a blender and purée ‘til smooth; set aside.  Add all of  the remaining broth to the liquid in pot; increase heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Add kale, reduce heat; cover and gently simmer, stirring a few times until kale is wilted and softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add remaining beans, bean puree, sausage and onion mixture; stir well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Simmer gently until hot, about 5 minutes more.  Ladle into soup bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.

“This soup is delicious, hearty and satisfying while still light and fresh-tasting.  It definitely fits the healthy but oh-so-yummy comfort food category.”  (Comment from the hubby.)  🙂

If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen, in regards to this blog, please email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.