Chicken soup (photo can be seen in the article) is a dish that many people really like. What can I say - he is loved even by children. This is a truly widespread first dish, which is famous not only for its spicy taste and ease of preparation, but also for its benefits to the human body.
Low calorie chicken soup makes it a favorite work of culinary art among fans of a constant diet. However, as nutritionists note, in order to prepare a truly dietary dish, you should use the breast - this part of the carcass contains the smallest number of calories. So in the end you can get a light soup with calories from 40 to 100 kcal.
So how to cook a delicious dish? A few recipes for chicken soup and cooking features will be discussed below.
The right choice of meat
Of course, the right meat is the main guarantee of a delicious dish. In order for the chicken soup to be very rich, have a pleasant smell and be attractive in appearance, you should definitely choose only fresh meat product. Which part of the carcass should be given preference is up to the hostess herself. It all depends on what she wants to get out: a diet dish or a fat and very rich broth.
In the event that the broth is cooked from a whole carcass (which is recommended to be done in different sources), then, choosing the basis for the soup, one should give preference to the largest chickens - it is from them that an excellent fragrant broth is obtained. The weight of the carcass should not be less than a couple of kilograms. An excellent option for such a dish is a home-laying hen, which was grown on natural feed.
Some features of cooking broth
In recipes for chicken soups, one rarely finds comments on the characteristics of the preparation of broth. However, despite this, they are still available. The main one is that the creation of the right and especially rich broth will require a large margin of time - at least 2-3 hours. In addition, during the cooking process it is recommended to constantly taste what is obtained. Most culinary experts agree that this should be done with a spoon made of stainless steel - it will not spoil the taste of the dish.
For making chicken soup, chilled rather than frozen chicken is the best option . However, if the second option is used, then the product should be thawed in a natural way, that is, at room temperature.
In the event that the addition of frozen vegetables is provided for in the chicken soup recipe, it is recommended to do this not at the very beginning of cooking, but literally 10-15 minutes before its end. In this case, they will have time to cook well, not boil over and not kill the meat taste of the broth.
Most culinary experts also determined that the most delicious and rich broth, as a rule, is obtained in dishes with a thick bottom. The secret is simple: such a container perfectly distributes heat - this happens evenly.
Another of the secrets of a delicious chicken soup is that not only meat, but also bones must be used to make the broth underlying it. In this case, the finished dish will turn out to be more rich.
Broth preparation technology
This technology for preparing a classic broth for chicken soup can be used to create any culinary masterpiece. In order to make it the most rich, you should use medium-sized domestic chicken (or a broiler). The carcass must be thoroughly washed, and put in a pan with a thick bottom (preferably). After that, turn on the fire and wait for the water to boil. After 10 minutes of boiling in boiling mode, the first broth must be poured and pour a new portion of cold water, add to this a couple of peeled tubers of carrots, as well as a pre-washed bulb (you do not need to peel it - it will give a beautiful color to the broth). In this composition, the products must be cooked until boiling, then reduce the heat to a minimum and, after 20 minutes, remove the foam from the surface of the soup.
After the broth is removed, you must discard the vegetables and continue cooking for another hour. After the specified time, salt should be salted to taste, wait another five minutes and turn off.
After the contents of the pan have cooled, it is necessary to separate from the chicken, strain the liquid and disassemble the meat into pieces. It should be remembered that in the process of straining, part of the fat will disappear, so if you want to get high-calorie soup, you can do without it.
Some housewives prefer to add spices at this stage, but professional chefs do not recommend this, as they completely interrupt the taste of chicken boil.
This base can be used to prepare any dish. Consider several options for what soup can be made on it.
Vermicelli Soup
A classic option for cooking chicken soup is considered to be cooking it with the addition of vermicelli. Its creation is quite simple, and the amount of ingredients is designed for 1.5 liters of pre-cooked broth.
Its preparation should begin with frying. To do this, in a large frying pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, finely chopped onion should be fried. After three minutes, add onion celery stalk, one potato, as well as medium carrots - all vegetables must be carefully chopped. In this composition, the ingredients must be put out, stirring occasionally. This process will take no more than five minutes.
Meanwhile, you should put the broth on the stove and bring it to a boil. As soon as this happens, immediately reduce the heat to a minimum and cook the contents for another 15 minutes. After that, add 300 g of chicken meat to the pan, which must first be cooked (you can use the one on the basis of which the broth was prepared), about 60 g of thin vermicelli, cover it all with a lid and leave for five minutes. After this time, you need to send vegetables to the soup, let the dish stand in this composition for a couple of minutes and turn off the fire. Serve this soup in chicken stock should only be hot, with the addition of pepper and salt.
With egg noodles
The recipe for chicken broth soup with the addition of egg noodles will undoubtedly become a favorite, due to its ease of preparation and excellent result in the form of a fragrant and rich first course. To create it, you need to take a couple of liters of chicken stock pre-cooked according to the recipe suggested above.
The creation of this culinary masterpiece should begin with the preparation of the frying, which is done by sautéing vegetables in a pan, with the addition of olive oil. To prepare it, you should use three carrots, a couple of small onions, as well as three stalks of celery - all of these ingredients must be chopped in your favorite way.
In a pan for cooking chicken soup with egg noodles, send meat (preferably with a bone) and pour it with broth. In total, the amount of liquid in the container should be 7-8 cm higher than the meat contents. As soon as the necessary ingredients are equipped, turn on the fire and wait for the mass to boil. As soon as the broth boils, it is necessary to immediately reduce the fire, remove the foam from it (if formed) and add spices to it: a bay leaf, several branches of parsley and 2-3 stems of thyme. Without covering, the broth should continue to be boiled until the chicken becomes very tender and begins to separate itself from the bone. As practice shows, this process takes about a couple of hours. When this happens, cooked meat should be removed from the pan and separated from the bone. In addition, spices must be obtained from there and, if desired, remove excess fat, which is formed on the surface.
After all this, you need to send 300 g of egg noodles purchased in the store to the soup and cook it for 10 minutes. When the allotted time has passed, it is necessary in a separate bowl to combine one chicken egg with juice squeezed from half a lemon, shake well and pour into chicken soup, immediately stirring it. After that, it is necessary to return the chicken meat that was cooked into fibers to the pan, which was cooked in it, add salt, pepper to taste and turn off the fire. Knowing how to cook chicken soup according to this recipe, you can truly surprise your household with a delicious, healthy and very nutritious dish.
With almonds
Want to surprise guests? To do this, you can cook chicken soup according to the recipe, which involves adding almonds to it. This dish is made very simple.
In a large pan with olive oil, fry 4 feathers of green onions, previously finely chopped. After two minutes of frying, add the chicken fillet, chopped into thin slices (300 g), and also heat it from two sides (2 minutes each). All the contents of the pan should be sent to the pan in which the soup will be cooked, pour 700 ml of pre-cooked chicken broth, add a tablespoon of soy sauce, and a couple of tablespoons of ground almonds. In this composition, the contents must be cooked until the meat is ready.
After the process of preparing the soup comes to an end, it is necessary to salt it to taste and add a small amount of black ground pepper. In addition, the dish is recommended to season with a tablespoon of pre-fried in a pan and chopped almonds.
Culinary experts note that such a dish, when served, perfectly harmonizes with sour cream.
With beans
Chicken stock goes well with legumes. The recipes of chicken soups with the addition of peas, beans and beans are especially popular in the Portuguese cuisine - it is in it that you can find breathtaking dishes that are not only tasty, but also healthy. They are often served at local restaurants.
To prepare chicken soup according to the recipe (with photo) presented here, you must first prepare the beans. It must be taken 500 g and pre-soaked in cold water. In this form, the bean product must be put overnight so that it is saturated with moisture and, as it should swell. Alternatively, you can use a can of canned beans - in this case, you do not need to do preliminary preparation, it is enough to drain the brine from which it was marinated.
At the very beginning of the preparation of the soup, you need to take a frying pan (preferably with a thick bottom) and fry 200 g of bacon cut into wide slices until crispy. After that, it should be laid on a paper towel and blotted so that excess unnecessary fat is absorbed.
In the fat left over from frying the bacon, you need to put a couple of tablespoons of chopped shallots, as well as half a glass of finely chopped celery - the ingredients must be stewed for four minutes. After that, you need to send to the mass a tablespoon of garlic crushed on a crush, a couple of bay leaves, as well as spices and salt. Among the spices for such a chicken breast soup, it is very appropriate to use cayenne pepper.
Beans must be cooked on the stove, which must first be soaked in water. It should be poured with a couple of liters of pre-cooked chicken broth. At the same time, boil chicken breast in another bowl.
After the vegetables are ready, they must be sent to the boiling beans, add the same bacon and immediately reduce the heat. On low heat, the soup should be boiled for about 10-15 minutes. When it is ready, you should send the chicken breast, sorted into fibers, as well as 2/3 cups of grated cheese (you can use Parmesan) to the pan.
English
This chicken breast soup is prepared very simply, according to an old English recipe. To create it does not require special culinary skills.
To begin the process of preparation should be the preparation of its main ingredients. To do this, finely chop the leek (stalk about 25 cm), boil chicken breast (about 300 g) in a separate bowl, and also rinse half a glass of rice twice. After that, in a separate frying pan, you need to melt a small piece of butter and fry on it finely chopped onions and cooked, chopped breast.
In a large pot for cooking, pour a liter of chicken stock and put it on fire. After waiting for the broth to boil in the pan, it is necessary to send washed rice, as well as several sprigs of parsley, which, for convenience, can be previously connected with each other. After boiling the broth in such a composition over low heat (about 10 minutes), it is necessary to add the fried breast with onions, as well as salt and pepper to taste. All the ingredients must be stirred and continue to cook them for five minutes.
While the soup is cooked, you need to prepare cheese for it. For this, a piece of cream cheese should be grated on a coarse grater. When the dish is completely ready, you need to add the prepared cheese to it, carefully distribute it throughout the pan and get the parsley branches. Simple and tasty soup is ready! It can be served at the table and delight your household.
With vermicelli
Consider another great option for cooking chicken soup with noodles and potatoes, which is very easy to cook with a minimum of ingredients in your kitchen.
To prepare it, put in a pan for cooking dishes previously washed and cleaned of all unnecessary chicken breast (about 500 g), add a couple of bay leaves to it, add water and put it on a fire. After the water begins to boil, it is imperative to heal the formed foam from its surface and immediately reduce the fire. Next, the soup should continue to cook for another 15 minutes, and then remove the fillet from the broth.
While the broth is being cooked, it is advisable to prepare the frying for the future soup. To do this, grate one medium carrot on a coarse grater and chop the onion head. Vegetables should be fried in a pan with the addition of a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, and then leave them for a while, removing from the stove. Also at this time you can do potato peeling (2-3 pcs.). As for the method of cutting tubers, it is best to do this in small cubes or cubes. The same thing must be done with the fillet that has cooled down after the removal.
When the vegetables are ready, potatoes should be added to the pan and, having covered with a lid, let it cook until half cooked - about 10 minutes. After the specified time, in a chicken soup with potatoes and vermicelli it is necessary to send a frying made of onions and carrots. In this form, the dish should be cooked for another 5-7 minutes, then turn off. At the final stage of cooking, the soup should be salt, pepper to taste and, if desired, season it with a small amount of spicy herbs.
Before serving, you also need to remember that the prepared soup must be infused.
Dietary
And finally, the option of making diet soup using chicken, which will surely appeal to all those who are on a diet and want to lose a few extra pounds. For its preparation, it is recommended to use a pre-cooked broth, for the brew of which you can use mouth-watering thighs. With them, after the cooking process, you can rob the meat and use it for soup, the recipe of which is discussed here.
So, to create an easy culinary masterpiece, you should bring the pre-cooked broth to a boil over high heat and add vegetables to it: medium-sized carrots cut into circles, half a can of canned corn (or frozen about 150-200 g), and also less than 100 g of frozen leguminous beans. In this composition, the ingredients must be cooked for 10 minutes. After this time, add pre-cooked rice (half a glass) to the pan and continue the cooking process for another five minutes.
While the soup is cooking, in a separate bowl, beat with a whisk a couple of eggs with a pinch of salt. When the soup is ready, you need to add a small amount of a mixture of peppers, herbs, as well as half a tablespoon of soy sauce. After this, you need to salt the dish and pour beaten eggs into the pan, quickly stirring them throughout the dishes, as they will return instantly.To give a special original and very mild flavor, you can add a teaspoon of sugar to the soup. In this composition, the dish should be kept on the fire for a couple of minutes, then remove it.