My Doctors Mamas Chicken Soup Recipes

MAMA JEAN'S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the chopped garlic and saute until fragrant, 1 minute more. Whisk in the flour and stir frequently until it coats the vegetables and makes a paste. Cook until it reaches a pale blonde color, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, making sure there are no lumps. Add the bay leaf, hot sauce, and Worcestershire and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes to thicken and develop the flavors.
• Reduce the heat and add the chicken and the noodles. Do not boil the chicken or it will become tough. Add the peas and the dill and simmer gently for 10 more minutes.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve.

MY DOCTOR'S MAMA'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Put chicken, onions, 2 unpeeled carrots, 2 celery stalks, turnip, garlic and bay leaf in a large soup pot. Fill with water to within two inches of top of pot and cover. ( I use a big soup pot, like a 15qt. If you like stronger soup, use a smaller pot.) Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered, for 2 hours. Occasionally skim the froth as it develops on the surface and discard.
• Remove from heat. Place a colander in another pot big enough to contain the stock. Pour soup through the colander into the second pot. Remove colander to separate stock from vegetables and chicken pieces.
• Pour the stock back into the pot. Let cool and then refrigerate stock several hours to overnight. Meanwhile, remove chicken from the bone, tear into edible pieces and set aside. Discard vegetables and bones.
• Remove and discard congealed fat from the surface of the refrigerated stock. Place the pot of stock over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and add salt, pepper, dill and sugar. Simmer about 30 minutes. Add sugar and wine, simmer another 10 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat enough to keep soup hot, add reserved chicken. Can add matzo balls or egg noodles as desired.
• Can be frozen before adding matzo or noodles if desired.

MAMA'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Place chicken in an 8 quart stockpot. Add onion, celery, parsley, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
• Fill pot with water to cover by 2-3 inches. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam from surface.
• Simmer for 1 hour, checking to be sure soup is still simmering and to make sure level doesn't drop too low (if it does, add more cold water, bring back to simmer, and cook a little longer).
• Remove chicken from soup and let sit, covered, until cool enough to handle; continue simmering soup in the meantime.
• Remove meat from bones and return bones, skin, etc to soup. Refrigerate chicken meat.
• Continue simmering soup. Soup may be simmered for another 1/2 hour or so, or may be simmered for a few hours - the time at this point is quite flexible. Just keep checking the broth level now and then; add cold water and return to simmer if it drops too low.
• Taste and correct seasoning. Strain through a few layers of cheesecloth into a clean stockpot. Discard vegetables and bones. Keep broth hot while you prepare the desired starch.
• If using potatoes, peel and cube and simmer until tender. Place some potato chunks and chicken meat into bowls and ladle hot broth over.
• If using rice, cook rice according to package directions. Place some rice and chicken meat into bowls and ladle hot broth over.
• If using noodles, cook according to package directions and drain well. Place some noodles and chicken meat into bowls and ladle hot broth over.
• This soup may be defatted if you make it in advance, cool quickly in an ice bath, and chill in the refrigerator. Once chilled, the fat will solidify on the surface and may be skimmed off. At this point, the broth may be frozen for later use (with or without meat, and without potatoes or rice), or it may be heated and served.

MAMA LEONE'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt and black pepper to taste and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
• When cool enough to handle, dice the meat and set aside until needed.
• While the chicken breasts are baking, heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Saute the onions and celery until the onions are translucent, about 6 to 7 minutes.
• Add the garlic, tarragon, oregano, paprika and remaining 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 or 4 minutes.
• Add the flour and stir until well-combined. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Add the tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the reserved chicken breast and simmer 10 minutes more. Just before serving, stir in the spinach.

MY SOUTHERN MAMA'S ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Brown beef in a large heavy kettle; drain. Add all the ingredients except macaroni. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add macaroni, bring to a boil again and simmer until vegetables are tender.
• *At this point you'll want to taste for salt; the original recipe calls for 1 tsp but I think that's a bit too much. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese before serving.

MAMA MANDOLA'S SPICY SICILIAN CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Dice celery, carrots, onion, potatoes and bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces.
• Chop tomatoes; reserve all juice.
• Place vegetables, tomatoes with their juice, chicken pieces, parsley and garlic in a 10-quart stockpot.
• Add water. Season with salt and pepper.
• Slowly bring soup to a boil over low heat.
• Skim off foam that rises to the surface; may have to skim 2 or 3 times.
• Partially cover pot and simmer 2 hours.
• When soup is finished, remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, mash vegetables in the bottom of the pot with the back side of a large cooking spoon or a potato masher.
• When chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove skin and bones and return meat to soup.
• Notes: Soup is best served the day after it is made. Refrigerate and remove fat that solidifies on the surface of the soup. Serve soup with rice or small, stubby pasta. For better flavor, cook the rice or pasta in the soup when reheating. Add freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.