Do you add soup mix to your chicken soup?

mommyla

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 10:42 am

I also use some soup mix. Not a lot, less than a tablespoon for an 8-quart pot. I use a lot of (skinned) chicken, lots of veggies, salt, pepper, and paprika. I cook it for a loooooong time (think all day Thursday and most of Friday) and I always get rave reviews.

watergirl ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 10:47 am

Nope. I put:

A whole chicken left whole.
A lb of carrots (cut into rings)
A few stalks celery (cut into half moons)
A whole onion left whole
A whole sweet potato left whole (not served)
Salt, onion powder, garlic powder (a lot of each)
Bring to boil, lower to simmer, leave on the stove all the live long day.

My soup is my signature dish, which sounds weird but even my husband's ex who hates me and everything about me broke down and called me for the "recipe" because my step kids love it. It's clear, rich, and omg so good.

If I am short on time, short on cash, or sick in the middle of the week, I make soup in my IP with just chicken bones and then I put:
some carrots, an onion and sweet potato in large chunks, a zucchini in large chunks, and dill, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. I change it up a bit to differentiate IP vs. stove top soup. This is also OMG SO GOOD.

Learning

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 11:33 am

I put skinned chicken marrow bones vegetables and parsley thyme pepper turmeric. I don’t put onion and garlic powder because I put fresh garlic and onion in the soup.

chanchy123 ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 11:37 am

No soup mix
This is my basic recipe
Chopped onion
Head of garlic (peeled cloves)
Celery
Carrot
Zucchini
Chicken on the bone
Salt pepper
Cook for at least 4 hours

Many times I’ll add one or more of these:
Celery root
Parsnip
Kohlrabi
Pumpkin
Butternut squash
Ginger

↑ lkwdlady ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 11:44 am

watergirl wrote:

That’s really funny about the ex calling you for the recipe!

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 11:50 am

crossroad wrote:

I used to but found my soup tastes better without.
I put in 3 loose carrots, 2 parsip, 1 onion, 2 sweet potato, fresh peeled garlic, fresh dill. I use two chicken legs and thighs with no skin. Only spice I use is salt.

My family likes a very clear soup, so I bag everything except the carrots, parsnip and onion.

My sister taught me a trick to getting clear soup- first boil the water plain, and then lower to a simmer and add everything in. If you simmer for too long it might get cloudy, but I don’t like my soup simmering more than 6-7 hours, and it 99.99% of the time doesn’t get cloudy.

↑ Ema of 5

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 11:52 am

crossroad wrote:

I never used to use fresh garlic but now I think a soup would taste bland without. It adds so much flavor!

I added garlic a few times, but I actually didn’t like the flavor, even though I am a huge fan of garlic.

↑ watergirl ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 11:52 am

lkwdlady wrote:

That’s really funny about the ex calling you for the recipe!

It was funny until she asked me to make a massive pot of it to serve at an already very awkward shabbos dinner the shabbos of one of my stepson's bat mitzvahs, and as people complimented her, she ACCEPTED THE PRAISE for MY SOUP (and matza balls, gefilte fish, and dessert, and then packed up leftovers for her now second ex's husband's family to take back home with them!). I am still annoyed about that!

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 12:10 pm

lkwdlady wrote:

Thanks for sharing! It sounds good! It must be what kids like. Caterers even use soup mix all the time so apparently people do like the flavor. I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong.

Depends on which caterer.

↑ ra_mom

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 12:18 pm

Ema of 4 wrote:

I added garlic a few times, but I actually didn’t like the flavor, even though I am a huge fan of garlic.

I love fresh garlic cloves added (and disregarded) and really don't like chicken soup with onion in it.

↑ lkwdlady ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 12:35 pm

watergirl wrote:

Oh my!! Can’t get worse than that!
I’ll bet she’s jealous that you’re such a good cook!

Chayalle

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 12:38 pm

I use a net bag in my soup in which I put chicken and bones, a piece of fresh ginger, and a bunch of fresh dill.

I also put in sweet potatoes, fresh garlic, zucchini, parsnip (small), turnip, celery, and carrots. Water, salt, and pepper.

Sometimes I put matza balls in the soup too. Or I serve with noodles that were cooked separately.

Yum. Never any need for soup mix.

saltandvinegar ↓

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 1:10 pm

raich wrote:

Why adulterate an amazing and super healthy product with artificial flavors and chemicals??

The more veggies the better. I also like to put in fresh (Bodek-style) herbs like parsley and dill in a mesh bag so it doesn't get all floaty around the soup. If you cook it for 6+ hours it will taste divine!

im going to try this. ive cooked chicken soup this long but the chicken becomes dry after sitting on a low flame for that long. how can I avoid that? cook the soup with the veggies first and then add the raw chicken to cook for another 2 hours?

Simple1

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 1:45 pm

lkwdlady wrote:

My soup really tastes good! I just wanted to know how to get that spicy flavor without the soup mix.
I use parsnips, carrots, turnip, celery, onion and lots of chicken and bones.
I don’t need to use anything for color because it always looks like a rich chicken soup. Was just looking for a flavor idea. Thanks for telling me not to put in a garlic cube! I was almost about to! I’m surprised that the garlic cube doesn’t dissolve.

I use garlic cubes and never noticed any problems. No soup mix.

↑ raich

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 1:50 pm

lemondrop wrote:

Is your chicken exposed over the liquid line? I have never had the chicken get dried out and there are times I have my soup simmering for 8 or more hours...

I do make soup in a 16 quart pot so I wonder if that makes a difference?

Amarante

Thu, Jun 03 2021, 1:51 pm

No

Why would I want to use some mixture of factory seasonings rather than use my own seasonings.

I mean this is ridiculous - how hard is it to season chicken soup?