I like to add a little bit of small cheese tortellini to my chicken soup.

I have saved my stock and chicken soup recipe together. It is really very good and I hope it is of some help to you!

Here's my recipe which is pretty well a standard soup recipe and nothing original other than that I like to roast the bones, the garlic and onion when making the stock.

Here

Soup Ingredients:

Homemade chicken stock - about 2 quarts
2 carrots - diced
2 stalks celery - diced
1 leek - diced
1 cup diced rutabaga or orange squash
1/2 cup fine soup noodles
salt & pepper
oil or chicken fat

Ratio of solids to stock should be about 2 cups stock to 1 lb chopped vegetables. Add any more chopped veg if you don't have enough.

Stock ingredients:

1 meaty chicken carcass or piece of whole chicken
2 heads of garlic
1 onion - cut in half
celery stick - sliced
1 carrot sliced
fresh thyme - large sprig
1 bayleaf
black pepper & salt

MAKING STOCK:

1. Early in day or day before:
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut top off heads of garlic. Place on roasting pan together with chicken carcass and sliced onion and drizzle a bit of oil over top of all.
(I had two carcasss to roast as they are sold this way in pairs at our supermarket. I also added a couple of beef bones.)
Roast in oven about 40 minutes or until all is toasted.

2. Put bones into a very large pot. Squeeze one head of the buttery garlic cloves into the stock pot, saving the other head of garlic for adding to the soup. Add the rest of the stock ingredients and fill pot with water to cover. Grind in fresh pepper. Bring to boil, turn down heat, put on lid and simmer for a couple of hours.
Skim off any grey residue that rises to the top.

3. Afterwards, strain the solid debris from the stock ---(REMEMBER you're saving the stock so don't pour it down the sink - as has been done LOL !).
I look through the solids and pick out the meaty chicken pieces to save for the soup. Throw away all the rest of the solid material.
Here I let it cool and refrigerate until next day when it's easy to remove solid fat from top. Otherwise continue to make soup.

MAKING THE SOUP:

1. Sautthe chopped ingredients in a frypan in a TBS of chicken fat or oil until lightly golden. Squeeze out the buttery cloves from the 2nd head of garlic and add to pan.

2. Put soup ingredients including small bits of chicken into large saucepan and add an appropriate amount of stock - about double the amount of liquid to vegetables.
Put on lid and simmerwith lid on for about an hour. Add soup noodles during last 5 minutes.

3. Check seasoning, add salt.

SharonCb

Here are two tried and true favs of mine.

TURKEY CHOWDER (or chicken)

5 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped onions
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups turkey stock (or chicken broth)
1-28 ounce can whole tomatoes
2 cups diced raw potatoes
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups diced, cooked turkey
1-10 ounce package frozen corn, thawed

In large pot, melt butter. Sauté onions until softened, all flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add turkey stock, stir until smooth and thick. Add remaining ingredients, except turkey and corn. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add turkey and corn and bring to a boil and serve.
6 servings

Mini Meatball Soup/Italian Wedding Soup
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combined
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg

6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water

1 1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or ditalini

1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg. Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil.

When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes.

When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread

This one is very good and a bit different and I think would be a great before game soup as it is a bit hearty.

Chicken Cacciatore Soup ( Marilyn)

1 Cup mini-penne pasta (or any tubula r/ curly pasta but not a spaghetti type)
3 boneless chicken breast halves
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 Tbl olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
8 Oz mushrooms sliced (optional)
2 Each garlic minced
4 Cup chicken broth
1 Cup dry white wine
28 Oz can crushed tomatoes
14 Oz can chopped tomatoes
1 roasted red bell pepper chopped (optional)
1 Tbl each dried basil & parsley
1 Tsp dried oregano
handful of fresh chopped basil

Cook penne pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and set aside. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper; place in a large soup pot along with a drizzle of olive oil and saut until just no longer pink. Remove chicken and refrigerate.

In the same pot, add onion, bell pepper and mushroom along with additional olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saut vegetables until tender and stir in garlic, broth, wine, tomatoes, roasted red pepper and dried herbs. Simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered 30 to 40 minutes.

Thank you, thank you - I want to make them all!

I made this soup the other night from BHG - Incredibly easy and fast. I used Louisiana Hot Sauce, which I use to make chicken wings, also sprinkled some on top at serving time for a colorful presentation. I also used my own homemade chicken broth. This soup is very filling, very delicious , esp if you like Buffalo chicken wings. It is my new favorite soup and I can't wait to have it again. As always with soup, it was even better the next day!

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

Buffalo Chicken Soup
Ingredients

* 1 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 lb. deli-roasted chicken, skinned, boned, and coarsely shredded
* 2 Tbsp. butter
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 2 14-oz. cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1-1/2 cups milk
* 1 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce
* 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (6 oz.)
* 1-1/4 cups crumbled blue cheese (5 oz.)
* 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)
* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* Bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions

1. In 4-quart Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in broth, milk, and the 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce.

2. In bowl toss together mozzarella, 1 cup of the blue cheese, Parmesan, and flour. Add gradually to soup, stirring after each addition just until melted. Stir in three-fourths of the shredded chicken; heat through. Top with remaining chicken, blue cheese, and hot sauce. Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts

* Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
* Calories 490,
* Total Fat (g) 28,
* Saturated Fat (g) 15,
* Monounsaturated Fat (g) 8,
* Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 2,
* Cholesterol (mg) 145,
* Sodium (mg) 1134,
* Carbohydrate (g) 12,
* Total Sugar (g) 5,
* Fiber (g) 1,
* Protein (g) 45,
* Vitamin C (DV%) 3,
* Calcium (DV%) 47,
* Iron (DV%) 10,
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Here is another hearty type Chicken soup that is excellent. I love it served with Chipolte Cornmeal biscuits.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder (From Woodie)
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Cup chopped onion
1 to 2 garlic cloves minced
3 Tbl butter
1 Cup Good Chicken Broth
1 Tsp ground cumin
2 Cup half-and-half cream
2 Cup (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1 Can (16 oz.) cream-style corn
1 Can (16 oz.) regular corn
1 Can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies undrained
1 Tsp hot pepper sauce (I use more)
2 medium tomatoes chopped
Fresh cilantro or parsley optional

Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.

In a Dutch oven, brown chicken, onion and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink.
Add to pan along with cumin; bring to a boil.Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add next 5 ingredients. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in tomato. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

NOTE: original recipe called for 2 bouillon cubes disolved in 1 cup hot water

Thank you Amck for posting this! Last night I just made a stock for my dad who is to eat a salt restricted diet. I was wondering what I was going to do with it that would make a hearty soup! Now I have quite a few ideas!

my favorite, and simple, is just chopped onion and celery, shredded cooked chicken, and extra wide egg noodles.

We had a roast chicken last week, and I used the bones to make stock, so I know have the last of my chicken soup in the fridge... Lunch today!!

Here's my favorite super quick recipe.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

From the back of the chicken broth can - its amazingly good and its ready in about 30 minutes, including prep time. With a loaf of crusty bread, this makes a nice meal.

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 can (48 oz.) chicken broth (I usually have homemade stock in the freezer, so I use that)
1 package (16-20 oz.) frozen cheese tortellini
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes (or you can use stewed tomatoes)
Grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

In a large saucepan, cook garlic in butter for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the broth and the tortellini and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the spinach and the tomatoes (juice, too!) and simmer for 5 more minutes. If you have the time, the longer it simmers, the better it is. Sprinkle each serving with grated cheese.

If you make a "traditional" chicken soup ( noodles, carrots, onions, celery) I heartily recomend a dollop of home made pesto sauce - I've been known to add a good sized dollop to the pot, or a tsp or so to the bowl - as we say in Boston -it's Wicked Good!"

If you are still in need, here are a couple more that we love. The first one is Marilyn's recipe and really good! The second one calls for turkey but I sub chicken all the time, it's delish! The third is a chicken chili that I adapted from a number of other recipes. It's heartier than the others so would be a good main-dish soup.

{{gwi:1473865}}

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion; chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 corn tortillas (regular or fried)
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese-optional
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1 cup diced, seeded Roma tomatoes or 1 cup salsa
Sour cream for garnish
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Slice or break tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic; sauté until they are soft. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes. Puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth, return soup to pot.
Add chicken, corn and cream and return to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in cheese and cilantro; stir to melt cheese. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.

Easy Chicken Chili
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 (16 oz) jar salsa verde
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with chilies
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can canellini beans
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt & pepper to taste

FOR GARNISH

Grated Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Crispy Fried Tortilla Strips

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in large stock pot., and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, salsa, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Linda