Chicken Soup / Supa de pui

Directions

1. Rinse the chicken breasts. Bring water and chicken breasts to a boil in a large soup pot.          

2. While water heats, wash the veggies. Cut the carrots in half (peel them if you'd like). Reserve the celery greens. Peel the celery root, and cut it in quarters. Peel the onions and poke them through the center with a sharp knife.                                                                       

3. Once the water boils, add the carrot halves, quartered celery root, onions, garlic cloves and the peppercorns.

4. Reduce the heat, and let the soup simmer covered for about 1 hour. Periodically skim any foam that collects off the surface of the soup.                                                                             

5. After 1 hour, place a strainer over the top of another large pot, and pour the soup through the strainer.

6. Return the strained broth to the stovetop, and continue to simmer. Rinse the rice and add it to the pot. Chop the celery greens and fresh herbs and add them to the pot. If you choose to use the bouillon cube, add it now as well. Also add the paprika and salt to taste (you may not need salt if you use the bouillon).           

7. Remove the chicken breasts from the strainer. Remove meat, cube it and return it to the soup. Discard bones, skin etc. Cube the veggies and return them to the soup. Discard anything else left in the strainer.

               

Notes: If you choose to use noodles instead of rice, add the noodles 10 minutes before serving. If you can't get chicken breasts, you can use ½ a chicken, or double the recipe and use a whole chicken. Depending where your chicken is purchased, clean and gut it, or look inside for organs, feet etc. - remove these before cooking.    

 

Substitutions: Rice*/Pasta**. Chicken breasts/½ Chicken. Fresh herbs/Dried herbs (adjust amount).

 

References: *See the Basic Rice recipe. **See the Basic Pasta recipe.