Homemade Vegetable Stock

The season has certainly shifted here on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The constant rain that has been with us since last September, has been accompanied by much cooler days. The jumpers finally came out over the weekend and the sniffles came a'callin’ so homemade chicken soup was the order of the day. There’s nothing like fresh, crunchy bread and a steaming bowl of fragrant soup to get you back on your feet and to chase those Winter chills away.

Most families have their secret recipes that have been handed down through the ages, and ours is no exception. I have tweaked our families Homemade Chicken Soup recipe over the years to suit the tastes of growing children, however nothing has had the impact that this little gem did quite some years ago. All these years on, I can’t remember exactly where I heard this little secret, but it has certainly been a game changer when it comes to our homemade soups and casseroles.

We’ve all heard that the most nutrients are 'just under the skin' in fruits and vegetables and we are more conscious than ever about what we eat and where it comes from. The slow living movement has also been a timely reminder to be more mindful of how we live, to reduce, reuse and recycle. I have to admit, that I have always hated wasting food. I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family and have raised my children to appreciate second hand, vintage, preloved. Don’t get me wrong, new is a wonderful thing, but being a little more careful with how and why we spend our money has allowed us to make memories we otherwise wouldn’t. We’ve lived and renovated, travelled and explored the world in ways we wouldn’t if we had been adverse to getting our hands dirty. As a result, this clever cooking tip has been embraced in our family as not only a tasty alternative but a way to make a difference in our world.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• In order to begin the process of making your own Homemade Vegetable Stock, first you must collect the material needed. This is as simple as collecting your usual veggie scraps as you go about your regular, daily meal prep ie. making a salad or stir fry for the evening meal. Instead of discarding the skin from your onion, garlic, ginger, carrots . . . the leaves from the celery, the off-cuts and seeds from a capsicum etc, pop them into a large, resealable bag or big empty container and put them into the freezer (yes, the freezer). This will keep them fresh while you continue to add to your stock supplies over the coming days | weeks. Simply pull this bag | container our when prepping meals and throw your scraps inside. Continue to reseal and freeze each time until your container is full. Expect this process to take a couple of weeks, although you may be surprised just how fast it fills up

• When your scrap container is full, simply empty the contents into a slow cooker or large stock pot, cover with water and allow to simmer gently for at least half a day. Honestly, the longer they cook, the better your stock will be. And another little bonus . . . the smell is amazing!

• Make sure to add a lid to your slow cooker or pot to ensure the moisture stays inside and doesn’t evaporate. Check on the progress of your stock throughout the day. The water level must remain high and you will notice the water slowly change from clear to a deep, rich, fragrant brown as it absorbs all the nutrients from your vegetable scraps

• All that is left to do is to drain the scraps, retaining the stock in a few handy jugs, and discard the soggy vegetable scraps that remain. Make sure to add them to your garden or compost heap - Mother Earth will be ever so grateful you did

THINGS TO NOTE:

• DO NOT add meat scraps or egg shells! NO fruit peelings (oranges, apples etc), and NO scraps that are showing signs of spotting or decay

• This delicious Vegetable Stock can be made ahead of time - I like to make my stock the day before use, OR pour it into resealable containers and freeze to use at a later date. A little hint: freeze in large volumes for soups and smaller volumes ie. in ice trays, to use on a smaller scale to flavour casseroles and stews

• Vegan friendly stock that delivers the ultimate feel good vibes . . . Good for you, Good for the hip pocket and Good for the planet!

Frozen Vegetable Scraps

Homemade Chicken Soup

Sharing a wonderful family recipe with you today for Homemade Chicken Soup. This one is truly made from scratch my friends - starting with the delicious broth or stock. Perfect for the meat lover or vegetarian | vegan as I will be sharing two recipe options with a full shopping list for each. Truly for the mindful chef who loves to spend a little time in the kitchen.

This recipe has been handed down through the ages and is one that I remember from when I was a little girl. As with all good recipes, it has been modified through the years by each cook as we all cook intuitively and from the heart. I am therefore, going to share 2 options with you - one for the meat lover which will include chicken, and one for the vegetarian | vegan. Both recipes are so hearty and full of flavour that they are bound to become a favourite.

OPTION 1: Traditional Chicken Broth

• Place a whole, organic, free range chicken in a large stock pot

• Cover with water and simmer on low for hours - until the meat is falling off the bones

• Strain the stock from the chicken and put aside to cool - this will be added to the soup later

• Discard the bones and skin and shred the chicken - put aside to be added to the soup later

OPTION 2: Homemade Vegetable Stock

• Making this stock, although not complicated, does take a some time, so I have shared the ‘how to’ in the previous post . . . Homemade Vegetable Stock

• Defrost a lovely large batch of stock prepped and made earlier or . . .

• Strain the stock from your veggie scraps and put aside to cool - this will be added to the soup later

INGREDIENTS:

• Approx. 2 kg Organic, Free Range Chicken (Option 1 Only)

• Celery - Approx. 1/4 of a Bunch - Chopped

• Carrots - 3-4 Large - Diced

• Swede - Medium - Chopped

• Parsnip - Large - Chopped

• Potatoes - 5 x Medium - Peel & Cut in halves or thirds depending on size - Leave chunky

• Brown Onions - 2 x Medium - Peel and dice

• Garlic - 5 x Cloves - Peel & Dice finely

• Ginger Root - 1 x Large Piece - Peel & Dice finely

• Olive Oil - 2 x Tablespoons

• Curry Powder - 1-2 Tablespoons (to taste)

• Vegeta - 1-2 Tablespoons (Option 1 Only) - to taste

• Bread - Fresh and crunchy and completely of your choosing

• Rice Noodles - 400gm Packet of wok ready noodles - not dehydrated (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat olive oil in deep, heavy base pan | stock pot

• Prep brown onions as directed, sauté slowly, on low heat - until clear

• Prep ginger root and garlic as directed, add to onions and continue to sauté on low hear until fragrant

• Add curry powder, stir gently to combine

• Add pre-prepared chicken, stir gently to combine (Option 1 Only)

• Add pre-prepared broth or vegetable stock

• Add pre-prepared vegetables, stir gently to combine all ingredients

• Add lid to pan | pot to retain heat and stop loss of liquid broth | stock

• Turn heat up until soup boils then adjust to low heat to retain a gentle simmer. Leave your soup to cook all day to infuse the flavours and allow the vegetables to cook through

• Taste at intervals to check flavour - add Vegeta (Option 1) and | or curry powder if required and to suit your taste

THINGS TO NOTE:

• You will notice that I added Rice Noodles to the list of ingredients, however I haven’t mentioned them again until now. That’s because they are actually a 3rd option and one that my daughter loves. For those of you who are a lover of “noodle soup”, as Joey would say (Friends reference), or that have little ones who like everything better when it has noodles, try adding some wok ready noodles to your bowl before ladling over the soup. You will note that I don’t say ‘add them to the soup’. That’s because the noodles will overcook and ruin the integrity of both the soup and noodle. Simply open a packet of wok ready noodles (ie. NOT dehydrated noodles and of the rice variety if you are vegan), pop them into a pot or bowl and cover them with boiling water (from the kettle is fine). Loosen them up with a fork before draining the water back off and portioning them out into bowls. Pour piping hot soup over the top and serve

• The addition of curry powder should be specific to you and your family and can be omitted if you prefer. We are generally quite generous in our family as we enjoy the flavour and the little bit of heat it brings. If you are taking some soup to an elderly family member or neighbour, I suggest you don't add curry as it can make them cough (this is a little gem I gathered from personal experience). Curry powder can always be added once you have ladled out their portion that way no one misses out on this delicious soup!

• When I make soup, I make enough to feed an army! This recipe makes enough to feed a family of 4 for several days

• This soup freezes well so don’t be afraid to ladle some into a container to freeze for another day. So good to come home to after a huge day. Just remove from the freezer, transfer to a pot and heat gently for a fabulous dinner in 30 minutes

• It’s a little bit magic! I have made this soup for many friends, neighbours and family when they have been unwell and they all swear it is magic. It’s something about the nutrient rich stock | broth, teamed with the vegetables, garlic, ginger and curry that instantly clears the head and sinus passages. I honestly believe that a gift of the heart and your time is the real secret. Either way, I hope you love this gift from my family to yours xo

Homemade Chicken Soup made w. our own Homemade Vegetable Stock