# Help me improve my chicken soup **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704 "2014-10-18T14:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/41 "2014-10-19T15:54:06Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > The fat is where the flavor of the chicken resides. You’ll get a puny weak broth without including all the fat. > > Everyone loves my chicken broth. Not sure what you mean there. I include the fat in the simmering process, but skim it off the top after it cools. Still tastes great. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/42 "2014-10-19T16:56:41Z")
Wow. I make soup every week, but I’ve never done any of the good techniques listed here. I’ll try some soon! At any rate, I just do basically what you described, but then I add one of these nice “stock pods” from Knorr: [http://www.knorr.com/product/detail/245812/chicken-stock](http://www.knorr.com/product/detail/245812/chicken-stock) to bulk up the flavor and richness of the stock. It makes a HUGE difference–I add one of those suckers to almost every soup I make. Also chiming in with the “add more salt” chorus. You can make a really tasty soup with not much more than salt, pepper, and a goodly dose of thyme for seasoning, although I usually add whatever else strikes my fancy from the spice cabinet. Sunday is soup day at my house! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/43 "2014-10-19T17:08:35Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > The fat is where the flavor of the chicken resides. You’ll get a puny weak broth without including all the fat. I disagree. Once the soup is finished and cooled, I skim off the excess fat. By that time, all the flavor has been drawn into the broth itself. The two biggest things that dull the flavor of chicken soup are insufficient salt and excess fat. ---
**Author:** ![BrianJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@BrianJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianJ)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/44 "2014-10-19T18:16:45Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > There’s nothing wrong with your basic recipe, but I don’t see any mention of seasoning. > > The soup must be properly salted while cooking. I also use plenty of fresh cracked black pepper and thyme. Also, sautéing onions is a very important starting point. These are the things that give it flavor. I second the suggestion of garlic and tomato paste. > > Also, never use breast meat. It’s texture doesn’t go with soup. Thigh meat works best. I did ask about spices but it came out species. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/45 "2014-10-19T18:42:27Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > There’s nothing wrong with your basic recipe, but I don’t see any mention of seasoning. > > The soup must be properly salted while cooking. I also use plenty of fresh cracked black pepper and thyme. Also, sautéing onions is a very important starting point. These are the things that give it flavor. I second the suggestion of garlic and tomato paste. > > Also, never use breast meat. It’s texture doesn’t go with soup. Thigh meat works best. And if you DO use breast meat (I use a mixture of breast and thigh), add it at the end so it doesn’t dry out. Agree on the cracked fresh black pepper! I also add some spices to the onions and carrots while I sautee them. It helps the spices open up. I learned that from Indian cooking. Also – a couple of rotisserie chickens make excellent stock. I buy a rotisserie chicken, eat on it all week, then chop/disjoint/generally act like a cavewoman the carcass apart and freeze it. You can also freeze the tops and tails of most veggies (including the skins of onions, which can add a nice colour). When you have a few chicken carcasses, just dump them and the veggies in the stock pot and simmer as others have suggested. I’m not a fan of potatoes in chicken soup because they suck up the salt. But I do like rice and will use wild rice. Lots of seasoning already in it, and the wild rice adds a nuttiness that’s yummy. This has inspired me and I’ve got a pot going now. Sadly, I didn’t have any chicken carcasses, so I’m using Rachael Ray’s stock, which is surprisingly good. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/46 "2014-10-19T20:19:30Z")
Gotta disagree with the 2 dill recommendings above. I love dill but it doesn’t belong here. But yeah you missed garlic and seasoning at a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/47 "2014-10-20T06:26:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Chicken feet I was trying to remember what ingredient my \*bubbe \*used, when i was a kid, that made her chicken soup so special. Feet and unformed eggs. She used to get whole chickens, minus the heads and feathers. They always contained small egg yolks in various stages of maturity. The yolks went into the soup with the feet, which were quite tasty when removed. And yes, dill. In fact, a handful of it, fresh. ---
**Author:** ![Remember\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Remember\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Remember_me)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704/48 "2014-10-20T08:48:12Z")
must-haves: 1 chicken 1/2 celeriac 1 leek 1 onion 4-5 carrots 3-5 cloves 2 bay leaf pepper salt water optional: some juniper berries thyme ginger nutmeg white wine You might want to roast the chicken and onion in your pan first, then add the water to completely cover the chicken and throw in the other ingredients. Bring to the boil and then let it simmer for at least 2 hours. Separate broth from the rest (take care that you remove the cloves, bay leaf and juniper berries). Definitely reuse the cooked meat by picking it from the bone. Don’t reuse the squishy vegetables. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-improve-my-chicken-soup/701704.md?page=2)