‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’… It’s a book, a famous saying and a fabulous recipe too! Our homemade organic chicken soup is delicious, packed with wonderful winter vegetables, herbs, boiled down bone broth and it’s something our kids LOVE! This really is two meals in one.
Course Main
Cuisine Main
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4-6 people
INGREDIENTS
2 x organic medium chickens (depending on family size one might be enough)
1 x lemon
Olive oil for massaging into the skin
Himalayan salt
Spices for the skin of the chicken
Bunch of fresh herbs from the garden – e.g. parsley, thyme, tarragon, coriander,
INSTRUCTIONS
- Turn the oven on to 180C
- Place the chicken’s breast side up in an oven proof dish.
- Drizzle chickens with olive oil and rub in a spice (of your choice) and a few pinches of Himalayan salt.
- Place half a cut lemon inside the chicken along with other fresh herbs to let off all the wonderful citrus juices and aroma whilst cooking.
- Put chickens into the hot oven and cook for about an hour and a half.
Tip: you will know the chickens are cooked when you pierce the skin between the thigh and the breast. The fluid should be clear when it flows out. If there is any blood in the fluid it is not quite done. Place back in the oven and check regularly.
When chickens are cooked remove meat from the carcass/es and place the meat on a serving dish for dinner along with vegetables of your choice! Whip up some gravy with the juices!
Chicken Soup:
Place the carcass of the chickens and the left over individual bones into a big saucepan and fill with water until it covers the carcasses.
Place the lid on and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours. The longer you cook the stock the more flavourful it will be and the more ‘goodies’ you get out of the bone and the cartilage.
Sieve the liquid to capture the bones, skin etc. Go through the sieved contents and place bits of chicken meat back into the soup.
Let the stock settle and cool a little before placing it in the fridge for an hour.
Skim off fat (optional) then re-heat stock adding favourite vegetables e.g. carrots, celery, sautéed leeks and onions, broccoli, cabbage and herbs from the garden. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20-30mins and serve warm.
Tip: with little kids you may wish to use your blender or Thermomix to combine ingredients.
Enjoy!
