When Farmer John was recovering from his hip surgery, it was impossible to keep up with all of the chores on the farm. We decided to whip up a special soup to get him back in the saddle (or up on the tractor)—and use some of the things we had left in the root cellar.
Turnip soup is known to stimulate the appetite, and studies have shown that chicken soup can help speed up the recovery process. Why not blend the two? With a little garlic and onions thrown in for their natural anti-microbial powers, this delicious soup will have you feeling better even if you’re not under-the-weather.
Ingredients
1 pound chicken parts
1 whole chicken, thoroughly rinsed
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 parsnip, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, including leafy tops, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 large whole onion, unpeeled (find one with a firm, golden-brown peel)
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of turnips, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup rice, arborio
1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns
1 bunch of dill, cleaned and tied with a string
salt and pepper
parmesan
Instructions
1. Pour 12 cups of cold water into a large stockpot, and throw in the chicken parts, onion, garlic, carrots, parsnip, and celery. Bring to a boil. While water is heating, rub the inside of the whole chicken with salt.
2. Add the chicken to the pot, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Test chicken with a fork to see if it’s tender and fully cooked; then remove it from the pot, and set aside on a large platter. Leave chicken parts in the pot.
3. Add onion, salt, and pepper. Let soup simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
4. When chicken cools, remove skin and bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
5. Strain the soup, and discard everything solid
6. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and bring to a froth. Toss in the turnips and saute til brown but still firm, about 3 minutes.
7. Add turnips and chicken pieces to the broth
8. Stir in the rice and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
9. Drop in the dill for one minute before serving and then remove. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish: minced parsley and 3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
Get well soon!!
8 Comments
yum : ) ! Man…that looks and sounds great! I will have to try your recipe after our snow tubing this weekend.
My mom used to gently ‘pound’ the chicken legs and brown them with garlic and then boil for the soup. That way …the bone marrows are well integrated in the stock. Also, Asian chickens (free ranging) are usually harder than farmed chickens….hence the pounding.
I always ask for the remaining bird carcasses after Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years dinner, to many strange glances from the in-laws. I store them in the freezer, and then, when the time comes, I add them to my 16 qt stock pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 24 hours. At the end I have the most flavorful soup (after I strain the bones etc, out and add the leftover meat back in. (Of course I add veggies in as it nears the end of cooking). I cook noodles on the side so I can freeze extra portions without the noodles getting too soggy and ruining the taste of the soup.
I see myself as the victor when I’m able to make pots of soup for myself and hubby after the fact. That’s using the most of what you’ve been given!
Hi, Nicole.
We do the same thing! Waste not/want not
Hi, WF
We will definitely give this a try for our next chicken soup. Moms are rarely wrong
Mmmm…there’s nothing better than a bowl of soup to get you on the mend especially when it is served in beautiful dishes!
Hi, Elaine
Agreed. The beautiful vintage dishes are ESSENTIAL to the cure
In this recipe you call for “chicken parts”, as well as a whole chicken. What do you mean by “chicken parts”?
Hi, Ann
If you go to your grocer’s butcher, he can give you the “parts” which usually include the neck, liver, heart and sometimes the feet. You don’t have to use them, but they will make a more rich stock