It’s a cold, grey, still evening and you’re curled up on the couch watching Netflix (or wishing you were). Maybe it’s raining. Maybe you don’t feel well. Maybe you feel fine but just want something easy for dinner that will basically cook itself. Whatever the case, it is always the occasion for soup.
This is a recipe that Kevin and I have developed over the years. We’ve tweaked it more times than I can remember. The flavors in this soup are the perfect partnership of a classic, homemade chicken soup and Vietnamese pho. It’s incredibly simple, healthy, and wonderfully comforting. There are no hard and fast rules and no strict measurements. Any of the veggies included in this recipe can be substituted to suit your taste. This is a beginner-friendly, adaptable, work-with-what-you’ve-got kind of recipe.
Please keep in mind that the amounts in this recipe are for meal-prepping purposes. This makes enough for the two of us for 3-4 days. If you are not meal prepping, cooking for your family or a large amount of people, or don’t want to eat soup for an entire week, do adjust.
Cook time: 2 hours
The Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cups of carrots, chopped
- 3 cups of celery, chopped
- 7 garlic cloves
- 1 yellow straight neck squash, chopped
- 2-3 large zucchini, chopped
- ½ lb frozen peas
- 1 tbs black pepper
- ½ tbs himalayan salt
- 1 tbs dried oregano
- ½ tbs dried basil
- ½ tbs crushed rosemary
- ½ tbs thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 limes
- 2 tbs chili garlic sauce (trust me)
*these amounts are for a 5-gallon pot
- In the largest pot you have (something that resembles – or even better, is – a vat) fill ¾ full with filtered water and add the whole chicken. Place this pot on the stove on medium-high heat.
- Chop your veggies. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Add all seasonings (pepper, Himalayan salt, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves). Bring to a simmer. Give everything a stir and walk away. Come back in about an hour and a half.
- Reduce the heat to low. Grab a large mixing bowl or glass pan – something large enough to place the whole chicken in and allow it to cool before shredding. Carefully remove the chicken and place it in your container of choice. Using a fork, scrape the skin away from the chicken. Try not to pierce the meat – you will lose all the juices! Leave the chicken on the counter out of reach of any pets (or children) that are willing it to magically fall to the floor.
- While the chicken is cooling, chop the rest of your veggies. Add squash, zucchini, peas, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir.
- Time to shred your chicken. It will by no means be cool, so use two forks to shred the meat and save your finger tips from a brief but painful singe. Add all the shredded chicken back into the pot. Turn off the heat and serve. You can enjoy it on its own, or serve over noodles or rice.
Bon appétit!
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“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.“
Hippocrates
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