One of the most comforting soup around is Chicken Soup. Whether served with noodles, rice, dumplings, or Matzo balls, it never fails to soothe. This is the closest I can get to writing out my recipe. I make it each time to taste and according to what I have on hand.
Ingredients
Left over rotisserie chicken or 2 baked large chicken breast, with bone in and skin on
2 to 3 tbls. olive oil
1&1/2 cups diced onion
1&1/2 cups diced carrot
1&1/2 cups diced celery
1&1/2 cups peas
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, optional
5 cloves of garlic, divided
16 cups water
12 tsp.(or to taste) Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage or 2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt to taste
Course ground pepper to taste
Egg noodles, rice, or package mix for matzo balls
Directions
Saute onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil for about 6 minutes in a large soup pot. (If using dried herbs, they should be added with the vegetables when they are sauteing.) Add 3 cloves of minced fresh garlic and saute for another minute. I place my precooked chicken, skin, bones and all, in a large colander and put it in the pot with sauteed vegetables, making sure to have the vegetables to the side of the colander. I use the colander so I am able to remove the chicken from the vegetables without worrying that the chicken will fall apart when I remove it from the pot. If you don't have a large enough pot, you can just put the chicken in the pot and remove the chicken as best as you can without leaving pieces behind. I then pour the water over chicken and vegetables, bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour. Remove chicken and then remove all of the meat from bones and skin and return to the pot. Now is the time to add the Better Than Bouillon to the pot, along with the peas, fresh herbs, and sliced mushrooms if you are using them. I simmer for another 15 minutes and then season to taste with added fresh garlic, salt and pepper, and sometimes additional bouillon.