The Perfect Winter Chicken Soup Recipe

Nothing helps make the cold winter days more enjoyable like a cup or bowl of hearty chicken soup.  Finding the right recipe for your family can be tricky, but try this one for a great taste and ease of preparation that you’ll love.  Today, we offer a chicken soup recipe that makes great use of winter vegetables.

To make this chicken soup you will need:

1 chicken (3 lbs)
2 halved onions
5 peeled garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
8 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried sage
4 carrots cut into ½ inch bits
4 celery stalks cut into ½ inch bits
2 leeks quartered and cut into 1 inch bits
2 parsnips cut into ½ inch bits
½ rutabaga cut into ½ inch bits
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

To start this chicken soup recipe, remove any excess fat from the chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put into a saucepan. Add in your onion, garlic, and bay leaves and pour in the stock.  Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any froth that rises to the surface.  Add in your thyme and sage and set the heat to low, covering and simmering for 30 minutes. 

Add in your carrots, rutabaga, parsnips, and leeks and simmer the mixture covered for 45 more minutes or until the veggies get tender and the chicken begins to fall off the bone.  Skim off fat and discard bay leaves.  Remove the chicken and take the meat from the bones when it is cool.  Tear the chicken into pieces and return to the stock.  Serve garnished with parsley and enjoy!

With this recipe, your family will find it easy to beat the winter blues!