CLASSIC CHICKEN SOUP

This is a basic chicken soup recipe but it is really versatile and you can add anything that you like in a soup.... see some suggestions below.

1 whole chicken
water

1 large onion, chopped or diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery (I usually omit this.... David doesn't like celery)
3-4 tablespoons chicken bouillion (more or less to taste)

Chicken-Vegetable soup - add any veggies that you like, peas, broccoli, tomato, green beans etc. Top with parmesean or asiago cheese.

Mexican soup - add black beans, white beans, poblano peppers, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, chipotles and top it with cheddar or jalepeno jack and a dollop of sour cream.

Place whole chicken in a large pot and fill with water to cover chicken. Place over medium high heat and cook until chicken falls apart. Usually about an hour but the lobger you cook it, the more goodness you get out of the chicken.

Remove chicken from pot and if you have another pot, strain broth, if you don't, just scoop everything out of the broth. Let chicken cool until you can handle it.

While chicken is cooling, return broth to stove top and cook over medium heat. Chop carrots, celery, onions and garlic and add to broth. Add chicken bouillon.

Remove all of the meat from the chicken bones and add meat to broth. Heat to boiling. Taste broth and adjust seasonings. If it is not flavorful enough, add bouillon, if it is too salty, add more water.

If you want to add rice, now is the time to add it and turn the heat to low. Cook for the time written on the rice package. When rice is tender, add the rest of your veggies, beans etc.

If you decide to add veggies or beans, just remember not to cook it too long after you add them or else you'll have mushy veggies and beans.

Serve it with or without pasta. But cook pasta separately and add to soup when serving so that the soup doesn't soak too much into the pasta and make it mushy.