Delicious and Easy Chicken Soup Recipe

Chicken soup is a popular dish that has been used for centuries as both a comfort food and an effective remedy to cure colds and flu. It is packed with flavor, nutrients, and health benefits.

This easy chicken soup recipe will make your home smell wonderful and warm throughout the kitchen. You can prepare it in just 30 minutes and serve it to 4 people. Here's what you need for this dish:

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery sticks, sliced finely
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 6 cups of water or broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Optional: 2 tablespoons lemon juice for taste (optional)

To begin the process, start by browning the chicken in a large pot over medium heat using olive oil. This will add flavor to your soup and enhance its color. Once browned on all sides, remove from the pot carefully with tongs and set aside.

In the same pot used for browning, add the chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, parsnips). Sauté them until they start to soften slightly. After this step, return your chicken back into the pot along with smashed garlic cloves and season it with salt and pepper according to taste.

Now pour in 6 cups of water or broth depending on how thick you want your soup to be; more liquid results in a thinner soup while less liquid yields a thicker consistency. Stir all ingredients together thoroughly before letting the mixture simmer gently for about 30 minutes until everything is tender and cooked through.

Once done, use tongs again to take out the chicken from the pot carefully. Allow it to cool down enough so that you can easily handle it without burning yourself. Once cooled off, remove meat from bones by pulling them apart gently but firmly if necessary. After extracting all meat from the carcass, shred it up into small pieces.

Return shredded chicken back into the pot along with any leftover vegetables (if some are still intact), and heat everything back up carefully until just warm again without boiling or overcooking. If desired, add a splash of lemon juice to give it that extra zesty kick which complements well with this dish.

For serving, ladle the soup into individual bowls and enjoy your hearty homemade chicken soup! This recipe not only provides an excellent meal but also offers many benefits for health such as boosting immunity due to its vitamin content. It helps in soothing sore throats thanks to its soothing properties making it perfect during cold seasons.

Cooking time: Approximately 30 minutes (including preparation time).

Number of servings: Serves approximately 4 people

If you're looking for variations or additions, consider adding some fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, or basil towards the end to enhance flavor. For a more substantial soup, add cooked barley or quinoa during the final stages before heating it up again.