Chicken Soup | DON'T Make Chicken Broth Without These 3 Things

This is THE best chicken soup I know how to make. It checks all the boxes. Intensely flavorful from-scratch chicken broth, well-cooked veggies, and starch. And I'll be sure to cover the three ingredients that I don't make my chicken broth without so you can be sure that your chicken soup is the chickeniest soup that ever was. Recipe below.

**My Gear**

FOR THE BROTH AND CHICKEN MEAT

1 3-4 LB WHOLE CHICKEN
5LB CHICKEN BACKS
1.5 LBS CHICKEN FEET

30g or 2 TBPS KOSHER SALT
5g or 1.25 TSP SUGAR
5g or 1.5 TSP BLACK PEPPER
3g or 1.5 TSP GARLIC POWDER
5g or 2 TSP POULTRY SEASONING

TO COOK CHICKEN FOR SOUP AND BROTH
1. In a medium stainless bowl combine the chicken and…
2. Dry-brine in fridge for 2-12 hours. If going for 12 hours be aware of salt levels in final soup.
3. Slow roast at 300 degrees for 2.5 hours, rest bird for 30 minutes
4. Turn oven up to 400 degrees and roast feet and backs for 15-20 minutes ( not looking for hard roast or a lot of color)
5. While bones are roasting, pick meat off chicken, and set aside in fridge for later use in soup. Add 1 cup water to sheet tray chicken was roasted on and scrape up browned bits
6. Add browned goop to slow cooker or instant pot along with roasted backs and feet and 5 qts water
7. Slow cook for 6 hours ( stock pot on stove works too)
8. Strain off stock 6 hours later and skim off chicken fat, reserve for garnishing
9. Return stock to stove in large pot and reduce by 20 percent
10. While soup is reducing cut vegetables

200g or 1 LARGE LEEK
400g or 4-5 LARGE CARROTS
300g or 6 STALKS CELERY
200g or 2 BULB FENNEL

11. Strain reduced stock once more, return pot to stove and wipe out, add 2 tbps chicken fat and vegetables. Add 2 pinches salt and saute over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes.
12. Add in stock and bring to simmer, cook vegetables until just tender or about 8-10 minutes.
13. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and add to soup once veggies are almost tender
14. Season with salt to taste, make sure to let chicken sit in broth for 3-4 minutes before any more salt is added, the chicken is really perfectly seasoned form the dry brine and it will let some salt off into broth
15. Pour over cooked noodle or rice (if doing pasta, cook till tender, strain off, and reserve till time to eat. I like to heat in microwave with a small splash of water in bowl covered with paper towel to steam back to life real quick. Adding noodle and rice at the end ensures they don't absorb all of our amazing broth we spent so much time on.
16. GARNISH WITH CHICKEN FAT and a lot of black pepper

FOR THE RICE

300g water
400g RICE
7g SALT

Or per package instructions

**DISCLAIMER: Some links in this description may be affiliate links. If you buy any of these products using these links I'll receive a small commission at no added cost to you. All links are to products that I actually use or recommend. Thank you in advance for your support!

#chickensoup #chickenricesoup #chickennoodlesoup #bestchickensoup #chickenbroth

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[BrianLagerstrom]

I'm a chicken rice guy, but let me know your favorite. Chicken rice or chicken noodle?

[MichaelJohnson-vieh]

I just started putting dill in my chicken soup and the grassy freshness just wakes all that chicken fat up. I could smell that soup through the screen. One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday afternoon for the whole week.

[DCMae]

I love and appreciate how you give the full recipe with directions in the description box instead of giving links to a blog.

[theprousteffect]

People focus so much on the solid ingredients that go into a soup, when the broth is the most important thing that should be where most of the time is spent. Like with all of your videos, I love how you explain everything in detail, and it feels like we're getting cooking instruction along with great recipes. Even things like why it's fine for the roasted chicken to be over the normal recommended temp, and what makes that cooking method preferable. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos!

[marsh]

I have been making chicken soup for a long time and I can say this is easily the best instructional I've seen anywhere. Brian, you outdid yourself on this one!

[TheLombardProject]

"Great Chicken Soup is part of a dignified life you guys" Brian Lagerstrom ... words to live by!

[melodyssong]

This looks so good, but my favorite thing to add is actually a good amount of lemon juice. It makes it so light and fresh and really jazzes up the flavor.

[Berkana]

2:26 Brian, one trick I learned from a ramen master to get more gelatin out of the chicken feet is to use a sharp knife to slash open the "palm" of the chicken foot before making any sort of stock with it. the more cuts you put in the fleshy bits of the chicken foot, the more of the connective tissue comes out into the stock. It actually makes a difference. The skin can hold back a lot of that stuff from diffusing out into the soup. Just cut a few gashes, and that stuff comes out with ease.

[pontmann]

Hey Bri! Here in Africa we use chicken feet and heads. We call 'em 'Walkie Talkies'.

[bradwood]

Your production quality keeps getting better. The lighting in this one is really good!

[pwp]

growing up in a German house, a tablespoon of mustard (not the grainy kind) added into the soup boosts the flavour

[charlesmyers]

This is such a great recipe - the carcasses and the feet add so much. You just can’t beat a silky, savoury chicken broth!

[teraxiel]

I watched this video before when it was newer but it got re-recommended to me and it's fun to see how much Brian's video style has changed through the years.

[patrickormos]

I like the breakdown into steps. The hint about adding the rice in the bowl to avoid gelatinous rice is great. I tend to use chicken thighs and legs. I also add in a jalapeño for a little zing. My preference (Jewish background) would be noodles or dumplings (matzah or Hungarian pinched).

[marcelorezendebastos]

I’ve Never seen a perfect chicken soup like that. Thank you.

[dimilton]

My stepdad changed my mind on chicken soup. I always thought it was meh, but Brian stresses how delicious it actually can be. My stepdad will add homemade, fresh pasta to the soup. Yes, it absorbs a LOT of the chicken stock, but the flavor of the noodles are insane after that. Love it!

[triniazn]

Watching on a rainy day here in Trinidad while I do a workout. Just what I needed! This needs more views and likes so here are mine!

[mssixty]

I just made chicken soup a few days ago, I couldn't decide between rice or noodles, so added both. However, I fry the dry noodles and rice first, add the seasonings to saute, then add the vegetables, and precooked chicken last. When cooking the chicken bones for broth, I put in a dollop of apple cider vinegar, it helps draw out the gelatin and minerals from the bones, but you don't taste it.
Thank you for the info about how a hard boil emulsifies the fat throughout the broth, I didn't know that.

[ethankaufman]

For the meat you pressed into a container and then covered in plastic wrap, you can press all the meat down and then pour all the rendered shmaltz from roasting it over the top to give you an airtight and flavorful seal

[sk]

dude love the way you present your vids. entertaining and informative! not a boring serious cooking show. THANK YOU!