I think I’m mentally and emotionally allergic to cold weather. This time of year I mostly just daydream about being curled up with my softest blankies while crocheting afghans and sipping on something hot out of oversized mugs.
I’m sure I have some kind of vitamin C deficiency or that seasonal affect disorder we hear about, but I don’t care enough to know for sure because either way I’ll be pushing through each day, dreaming of the warm summer nights that will be here in just a minute. Not really, but you know what I mean.
Soup for the Winter
So for me it’s all about making big pots of soup in the cold months. Actually, the warmer months too, but that’s a different story. There really is nothing more comforting, soothing and warming for the body and the soul then a steaming hot bowl of soup. My favorites are chicken and beef soups because you get that richness from the fat.
Tips for Simple Chicken Bone Broth
My mom used to make bone broth growing up, but she didn’t call it “bone broth.” It was just how she made soup. She almost always used chicken, beef and even ham bones with vegetables and herbs when preparing soups. It’s always funny to me to see how these days the simplest recipes become trendy (and seem more complicated then necessary), but our moms and grandmas were just busy in the kitchen, humbly making delicious food from scratch and not thinking it was anything special. They were so awesome and didn’t even know it!
Watching my mom make soup and stocks, combined with my own years of making soup for my family, I’ve figured out some ways to make sure making homemade soup is easy, while also making sure they are flavorful.
For one thing, some of the tastiest broths I’ve made have been done in less than a couple hours. Flavorful broth doesn’t need to cook all day or have crazy combinations of different bones, herbs and processes to be awesome. Well, that’s in my very humble opinion.
Here are some simple tips for making this Chicken Bone Broth with Purple Potatoes & Cabbage:
- Use a pot with a heavy bottom. If you have a seasoned, cast-ion pot, that would be perfect.
- Pre-cook your veggies in the pot you’ll be using to make the broth. This will create layers of taste. See the instructions below.
- Have the butcher skin a whole chicken and ask him to cut it up in tw0-inch pieces. Some butchers are happy to do it, others seem to not understand what you’re talking about. 🙂
- Don’t let your broth boil because it can create a cloudy broth. Once it reaches boiling, turn down and let simmer.
- When serving, use a slotted spoon to add just the right proportions of veggies and chicken, and then use a ladle to add the right amount of broth. The individual serving bowls should have just enough broth that the tops of chicken chunks are peeking above the broth.
- Garnish the of soup with something that will add more flavor or color. For example, I topped this soup with microgreens. I also like to add different types of pesto or shredded Italian cheeses (depending on the soup).
Bone Lovers Soup
Before you get to the recipe, I should say that I like bones in soup, but not everybody does. This soup has little pieces of chicken with the bones still in tact. For me, I enjoy nibbling on them. So, just want to give you fair warning that if that’s not for you, you may want to check out another chicken soup recipe. It’s this one Green Chile Chicken Soup. Or try this Mushroom, Garlic and Kale Soup. Not chicken, but it’s delicious!
Bone Broth Chicken Soup with Purple Potatoes & Cabbage
Ingredients
Soup
- 5 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 5 ribs celery chopped
- 5 medium carrots chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 whole chicken skinned; cut in two-inch pieces (bone in)
- 1 tsp kosher salt more or less, to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 c white wine (or beer)
- 10 c water
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 5 small purple potatoes chopped in 1-inch cubes
- 3 small white or red potatoes chopped in 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups fresh cabbage roughly torn
- 32 ounces prepared chicken broth optional (pre-made or store bought)
Instructions
- In a 6-quart, heavy bottom or cast iron pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil. To the pan, add the carrots, celery and onion and sauté for about 8 minutes until slightly caramelized and mildly tender. Remove from pan with slotted spoon, leaving remaining oil in pan; set veggies aside.
- Season chicken with kosher salt.
- To the same pot, add 2 more tbls of olive oil and arrange 1/2 the cut-up pieces of chicken in one layer. Brown all sides and remove from pan. Add remaining chicken pieces and brown. Add the fresh garlic to the bottom of the pan and cook for about a minute.
- Return the previously-browned chicken to the pot. Add the white wine and scrape bottom of pan with wooden spatula to incorporate the pan drippings and flavors into the liquid, while seasonings with salt, pepper, thyme.
- Add about 10 cups of water to the pan and turn heat up to high. As soon as the water boils, turn heat down to a simmer and partially cover. Add the bay leaves and simmer for 30 minutes. Make sure to skim the top during the first 10 minutes.
- Taste the broth and add more seasoning as needed. Add the chopped potatoes and cook for another 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, and return the previously cooked vegetables to pot. Add the cabbage and simmer for another 15 minutes. Optional: Increase the amount of broth by adding 32 ounces of a good-quality chicken stock or broth before the final simmer.
- Serve hot with a garnish of fresh microgreens or arugula.
Great, simple recipe! Absolutely delicious! My family loved it. It will definitely be in my regular rotation.
Thank you so much! 🙂