A long time ago nearly 14 years now I copied a chicken soup recipe out of a newspaper in our college library. I’d just shacked up with my then boyfriend (now husband) and finally had access to a real kitchen. Homemade Chicken Soup was new to me then having subsisted on ramen, campbells and the college food hall up until moving off campus. I don’t follow this recipe exactly anymore instead I have taken to tweaking it nearly every time I cook it. But as a base recipe for a basic chicken soup it works great. Today I almost couldn’t find the scrap of paper I wrote it on. The small panic that gave me made me chuckle and then reminisce. I’ve changed the recipe so much that I don’t actually use the paper anymore still I always double check my paper for my basic ingredients. I’ve posted the original recipe and my favorite tweaked version below. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

4 chicken breasts
3 cups water
2 chicken bouillon
2 beef bouillon
1 med. onion chopped fine
1 or 2 carrots large diced
1 stalk celery diced
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon salt (optional/to taste)
pepper to taste

Combine the chicken, water and bouillon in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim.
Add the onion, carrots, celery and ketchup cook slowly till chicken is tender.
Add noodles or rice if desired. Cook until noodles or rice is done. Serve.

Mama’s Chicken Soup

6 thighs (or equivalent other pieces of chicken)
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon beef soup base
1 med. onion chopped fine
2 carrots sliced/diced (1 cup approx)
1 stalk celery (1/2 cup approx)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper to taste

noodles or rice (cooked separate)

Heat the oil. Saute the onions in a stock pot until golden. Add in the chicken pieces and cook lightly.
Add the celery and carrots cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock. Add the beef soup base and the ketchup.
Salt and peper to taste. Simmer on low until chicken is tender and carrots on done. 40 to 60 minutes.
Serve over noodles or rice if desired.