Chicken and Veggie Soup

We have a sick little one in the house today, so the old standby of chicken and veggie soup sounds like a great idea!

I don't really have a recipe for this, not one with definite measurements.

First, I clean a whole chicken and put it in a large stockpot or 6 - 7 quart slow cooker.  Add 1 chopped onion, a peeled and sliced carrot, a stalk of washed, sliced celery with leaves, a clove of minced garlic, and 1 to 2 tsp. of salt.  Barely cover all with water.  Cover and simmer for an hour or two, until chicken is cooked.  If using a slow cooker, you'll get great nutrition (minerals) from the bones if allowed to cook on low for 24 hours.

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.  Strain the veggies from the broth and discard the veggies. Return the broth to the pot that has been wiped clean. Remove meat from bones.

Cut up 2 to 3 more carrots (more if desired), 2 to 3 stalks of celery including leaves, and another onion.  You may also add fresh or frozen peas or green beans, perhaps even corn if you like.  Bring to a simmer and cook until veggies are tender.  Add as desired:  salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, a bit of sage, maybe thyme, or chicken bouillon/soup base granules to taste.  Add as much of the deboned cut up chicken as desired.  You may also add noodles, small pasta, or rice at this point if you desire and cook until tender.

Let cool a bit before serving; it'll be hot after all that simmering.

Note:  This freezes well!  I like to freeze in individual size portions for lunches.  I have another recipe that cans up, back in the blog from August 2009.  Do not vary from those directions or ingredients when canning as that is considered to be a recipe safe for canning.