My chicken broth always smells good but...

[sunshine6100]

I find it tastes like nothing.
Have my taste buds just been ruined after 20-something years of eating can soup?

Here's what I did:
8 qt stock pot
Chicken. Onion. Carrot. Celery. Rosemary. Thyme. Garlic
Filled it up with water. Brought to a boil. Lowered to simmer. Skimmed off the scum.
I left it for several hours. Had to be over 4.
Strained out all the stuff. Set the chicken aside to shred.
Put the broth in a bowl to cool and then the fridge over night.
Took the fat off the top today.
Simmered it with carrots, celery, and chicken.
meh...


Everyone raves about homemade chicken soup but I'd rather have an envelope of Lipton's

[walkonby]

sunshine6100, I really believe it is the extra salt that everyone is used to ingesting when they eat canned " anything ", not just soup. It is a difficult habit to overcome, that saltiness from the packaged Lipton's or whatever brand is cumulatively addicting.
I know, I was ( am ) a salt/sugar addict and have quit for the most part, but everyday is a struggle to renew the taste buds to enjoy real food without the salt.

I see nothing wrong with your soup recipe, maybe fresh parsley or cilantro leaves could help, but it is a basic soup there, should taste fine.

On Dr Oz. one day last week he mentioned that if a person mentions their sense of taste disappearing when it comes to food. it is often a zinc deficiency. I think he recommended zinc lozenges, but maybe check it out first.

[glenglen]

Mm sounds tasty!

[Natalka]

I find it tastes like nothing.
Have my taste buds just been ruined after 20-something years of eating can soup?

Here's what I did:
8 qt stock pot
Chicken. Onion. Carrot. Celery. Rosemary. Thyme. Garlic
Filled it up with water. Brought to a boil. Lowered to simmer. Skimmed off the scum.
I left it for several hours. Had to be over 4.
Strained out all the stuff. Set the chicken aside to shred.
Put the broth in a bowl to cool and then the fridge over night.
Took the fat off the top today.
Simmered it with carrots, celery, and chicken.
meh...


Everyone raves about homemade chicken soup but I'd rather have an envelope of Lipton's

I adore homemade chicken soup! I use a whole chicken or eight pieces of thighs/backs - making it with breast meat alone doesn't give enough flavour.

Along with the chicken, I add one onion cut in half, carrots, and only sometimes celery (it does add a different flavour).
For seasoning, I use a good amount of salt, about a dozen black peppercorns - and I think the magic is in adding about six big bay leaves.

I simmer it for an hour and a half only. I don't skim (only with pork).

I remove the chicken to a platter, and put the carrot pieces in another pot into which I strain the broth. I discard the onions, celery and seasonings.

I make fine egg noodles separately to use in the soup, then people can put in their bowl the ratio of noodles to broth they like, and add cut up bits of chicken if they wish.

It's very rich and flavourful.

Cooling the broth as you did and taking off the fat will reduce the flavour somewhat, but I've done that before and there's not that big of a difference.

[sunshine6100]

Bay leaves... d'oy!
I read that somewhere and thought of adding them this time.
Last night when I tried it it was oily. I had to take the fat off the top.
I have used a whole chicken before but this time only 2 breasts. I read people saying wings and necks are best.

Thanks guys
I won't give up yet. I'll keep experimenting with it.

[marstec]

You can always roast the chicken or chicken carcasses before making your stock; there is more flavour in roasted bones for some reason, and adding a few bay leaves might help.

[bluerose]

Made chicken soup today with four chicken legs and it tasted awesome,have been a non smoker for five months now.

[Scottishgal]

I still find I like adding a little package of Oxo Chicken to my homemade soup. ( I like the individual packs not the cubes.) I find it brings out the flavour. (There is a reduced salt version out there as well.) Another good thing to add is a little poultry seasoning. This really brings out the chix flavour and smell soooo good.....I'm hungry now. LOL. Might just make this tommorow with dumplings

[lecale]

.

[blueeyetea]

Sunshine 6100, as Lecale suggests, are you using enough chicken as per the amount of water?

I make chicken/turkey stock using a pressure cooker (ready in 30 minutes) and I use two pounds of meat for ten cups of water.

Since I started making stock this way, the difference in taste is amazing. I'll never go back to pre-made.

[hollyquaiscer]

I always find that when you roast the carcus, same goes for beef or any type of bones, in the oven for an hour or more first, you get so much more of an intense flavour. And, I agree with lecael, you should never boil your soup, it will get cloudy and the flavour will diminish. Herbs are very delicate and should only be added towards the end, and typically only as a bouguet arni so you can scoop it out easily. AND, the bay leaves and whole peppercorns, very important!

[mjtjmom]

I always add a shot of vinegar to my stocks. You can't taste it, but it does something good to the flavors. I also add vinegar to rice and pasta when cooking.

[tvwatcher]

I, too, add some packets of oxo or bovril - it gives it a boost of flavour

I read somewhere that says to leave the onion skins on - I tried that the other day but really didn't like the flavour it gave - so I won't be doing that again!

[Sunshyne1]

I know that alot of people are on a NO SALT kick.....and its true, we do over salt our food ALOT and it is very unhealthy.
But......I am a firm believer in "salt adds flavour"
Do you have to add a tonne? Absolutely not....and a couple tablespoons dispersed into a even just 6 cups of water will absolutely help the flavour of your stock.
Should you put salt in the stock and then add more salt when you have it as soup...it's your call.
I love salt...i find it enhances the flavour of alot of dishes.
Just don't over do it.
now, don't anyone jump on me for using salt....and recommending it.
I don't over use it and im healthy and happy.
it's all about moderation.

As far as the boullion cubes are concerned....yes I myself would probably add them.
But...if you are concerned about salt intake I would think you would be concerned about other "additives" going in:
this is the ingredient list in Knorr Chicken Boullion cubes
personally....i'ld rather add the salt and spices myself and avoid the Sulphites, tartaric acid, etc etc.
Maybe look for a more natural type of boullion cube.

Ingredients

Salt, monosodium glutamate, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, chicken fat, hydrolyzed soy/corn protein, dehydrated mechanically separated cooked chicken, dehydrated chicken meat, dehydrated chicken broth, autolyzed yeast extract, dehydrated onions & parsley, lactose, water, colour, spices & spice extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, citric acid, tartaric acid, hydrogenated soybean oil and sulphites.

[backstroke]

You're probably not used to losing the obscene amounts of salt found in canned soups. It takes time after eating a lot of salty stuff to go back to non-overly-salted foods, they may taste 'bland' at first, but give your taste buds time to recoup! That being said, adding salt to any dish is pretty much a fundamental no matter what you're making, just make sure not to over-do it.
And if you're looking for extra flavour, try other spices like cayenne, chili powder, bay leaves, etc. to add character.