When I think about the most comforting soups that warm the soul, especially on a cold night, nothing beats a classic homemade chicken soup made with proper free.range chicken. This delicious homemade chicken soup uses chicken that is more plump and fatty, which makes for a much richer and more flavorful soup than anything you can get from store-bought alternatives. The extra fat content in free-range chickens creates that golden, luxurious broth that coats your spoon and delivers deep, satisfying flavor in every sip.
In this case, I used a whole chicken, which creates a slightly richer soup base. I also trimmed back on some of the fat because that’s how I like my soups, but you can adjust this to your preference. The final result is smooth, intense, and absolutely delicious. To control the fat content, I first created a chicken stock and let it chill in the refrigerator, this way the fat had time to settle and solidify on top, allowing me to adjust exactly how much richness I wanted in my final soup.
Of course, if you’re not bothered about the fat content and want a super rich soup, then skip the refrigeration step entirely, or remove the stock and use it in its full glory without removing any of the fat. The choice is yours, but either way, you’re in for a treat, let’s get to the recipe!
Authentic Free-Range Chicken Soup from Scratch
Nothing like a home made chicken soup, this is just a bit more refined and rich ;D
Ingredients
- Free-Range Chicken – 1
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Carrot – 1
- Shell Pasta – 50g (Tiny Pasta for Soup)
- Basil – 2 leaves (Optional)
- Salt – A Pinch
Directions
- Cut up the chicken, remove the legs, wings, and breasts, store them in the freezer or use them for another meal. You don’t need to be too precise with the cuts, because the chicken meat that remains attached to the carcass will be used in the soup.
- Separate the wings and add them, along with the rest of the carcass and chicken skin, to a large pot over medium heat, without anything else, and fry a little just to get some color.
- Then add water until everything is covered, let it cook for about 30 minutes, keeping an eye on it and removing the foam and impurities from the surface of the liquid.
- After about 30 minutes, remove from the heat and strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or sieve into an airtight container that can go in the refrigerator.
- Allow the carcass to cool and remove all the meat from the wings and carcass. You can add this to the broth (since you are going to make chicken soup). I usually save it if I am going to make two different dishes.
- When it is time to prepare the chicken soup, remove the chicken broth. You will notice that the fat from the broth has condensed at the top and created a layer of fat. According to your taste, remove what you think is excess fat (I removed +/- half). You don’t need to throw it away; you can use it for other things. Of course, if you taste the soup and think it needs a little more fat, you can always adjust it later and add a bit more.
- Pour the broth into a pan, add a little chopped carrot and garlic, bring to a boil, and then reduce to medium/low heat.
- Then add the shell pasta. This takes about 10 to 12 minutes to cook, but it is a perfect pasta for chicken soup because it is very firm and holds its texture well in a soup.
- After about 8 minutes, add the chicken scraps (that you got from the carcarss and wings), followed by a pinch of salt, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, taste and see if the pasta is to your liking, adjust the salt, if you think the soup is too sweet, add a little water, if it lacks aroma, add a little fat until it is perfect!
- Ready to serve with a basil or mint leaf, bon appétit!
If your chicken came with giblets, you can add them when making the soup if you like soup with giblets, since they don’t need much time to cook. Alternatively, you could make chicken liver pâté or delicious giblet rice – all good things!
Keep the stock at a gentle simmer (around 85-90°C / 185-194°F) rather than a rolling boil to maintain clarity and prevent the broth from becoming cloudy.
This soup actually tastes better the next day as the flavors meld together. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
If you can’t find shell pasta, any small soup pasta like orzo, ditalini, or even rice works beautifully in this recipe.
Don’t be too aggressive in removing the fat, that’s where much of the rich, satisfying flavor comes from in a proper farm chicken soup!
This recipe for Authentic Free-Range Chicken Soup from Scratch was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Canja de Galinha do Campo foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 163 calories; 1.3 g fat; 22.5 g carbohydrates; 13.8 g protein.Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how it turned out for you! What are your favorite soups? Leave a comment below ;D
