MEG'S FAVOURITE CHICKEN SOUP - A wonderful warmer-upper on a cold night.
1 medium frying chicken
1 onion
1 large carrot
2 celery ribs
salt & pepper
Cut chicken into pieces and place in large soup pot. Add onion, carrot and celery, all chopped. Add salt and pepper and enough water to cover ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken pieces and strain broth, discarding vegetables. If you're doing this part the day before the soup, chill in the fridge overnight, then lift off the accumulated fat before reheating the broth. Otherwise, skim the excess fat from the surface with a turkey baster. Remove meat from chicken, discarding skin and bones. Cut meat into pieces and return this to the broth. Add enough water to make enough soup (about 1 litre). Bring the flavour up with instant chicken soup powder, if you like. To this broth and chicken base, add the following vegetables, all cut into appropriately sized pieces:
1 medium potato
1 large carrot
2 - 3 celery ribs
1/2 cup frozen corn niblets
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 small onion
Return broth to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are cooked. Or, simmer all day, if you like! The flavour just gets better and better!
