Chicken soup is a soup made whole30 chicken soup chicken, simmered in water, usually with various other ingredients. Humans were already boiling food by the time that chicken was domesticated in the neolithic period, so it is likely that chickens were being boiled for soup. Modern American chicken soup, which typically includes root vegetables such as carrot, onion, leeks and celery, was a staple across Northern Europe and was brought to the United States by immigrants. Chicken soup can be a relatively low fat food: fat can be removed by chilling the soup after cooking and skimming the layer of congealed fat from the top.
A study determined that “prolonged cooking of a bone in soup increases the calcium content of the soup when cooked at an acidic, but not at a neutral pH”. Strictly speaking, chicken soup, unless qualified, implies that the soup is served as a thin broth, with pieces of meat, and possibly vegetables, and either noodles, rice, barley, or dumplings. Chicken broth is the liquid part of chicken soup. Broth can be served as is, or used as stock, or served as soup with noodles. Broth can be milder than stock, does not need to be boiled as long, and can be made with meatier chicken parts.
Chicken bouillon or bouillon de poulet is the French term for chicken broth. Chicken consommé is a more refined chicken broth. It is usually strained to perfect clarity, and reduced to concentrate it. Chicken stew is a more substantial dish with a higher ratio of solids to broth. Chicken stock is a liquid in which chicken bones and vegetables have been simmered for the purpose of serving as an ingredient in more complex dishes. Chicken stock is not usually served as is. Chicken soup has long been touted as a form of folk medicine to treat symptoms of the common cold and related conditions.
Chicken soup is also known as “Jewish penicillin”, either as ersatz good penicillin, or as alternative to penicillin. Many Chinese soups are based on chicken broth. Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, is known for a version of chicken soup called ajiaco. Sancocho de gallina is another popular dish throughout Colombia and in neighboring countries.
The French serve chicken-based forms of bouillon and consommé. Typical French seasonings for chicken soup includes: bay leaves, fresh thyme, dry white wine and garlic. In Germany chicken soup is made with chicken broth, vegetables, such as carrots, spices and herbs and small noodles. In Ghana, chicken soup, also known as Chicken Light soup is made by cooking the chicken in a blended mixture of tomatoes, onions, pepper and other spices and sometimes garden eggs and is served primarily with fufu or on its own. Hungarian chicken soup is a clear soup, a consommé, called Újházi chicken soup. A consommé with entire pieces of chicken, chicken liver and heart, with chunky vegetables and spices like whole black peppercorn, bay leaves, salt and ground black pepper. In Indonesia chicken soup might appear as sayur sop, vegetable and chicken broth soup that contains chicken pieces, potato, green beans, carrot, celery, and fried shallot.