Bea Tollman's Chicken Soup

A classic traditional soup, with a family history...

“I learned this recipe from my grandmother, and that the secret to great chicken soup is to use all the bones (and a few feet too), and let it cook slowly over a long period of time. Reduce. Reduce. Reduce.” 
–Bea Tollman, Celebrity Chef & Founder of Red Carnation Hotels

How to Make Bea Tollman's Chicken Soup

The Ingredients

• 6 2/3 lbs (3 kg) chicken, halved and quartered with neck, gizzards, and feet if possible
• 4 large carrots, whole
• 4 stalks celery
• 2 medium onions, whole
• 4 large whole leeks, cut in half
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 peppercorns6 parsley sprigs
• 2–3 organic chicken bouillon cubes (in lieu of any salt)
• 3 1/2 oz (100 g) fine noodles, cooked separately

The Directions

• Put the chicken pieces, carrots, celery, onions, leeks, bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley in a large saucepan and cover with water
• Bring to a boil and add two chicken bouillon cubes
• Skim, and then simmer for about 6 hours
• Strain the soup into a clean pan
• Dice a handful of carrots and chicken meat from the soup and set aside
• Bring the soup back to a boil and adjust the seasoning for saltiness; if required, add another bouillon cube
• Add cooked noodles with a serving of the diced chicken and carrots previously set aside to each bowl of soup
• Pour broth into each bowl over the noodles, carrots, and chicken

PREP TIME: 15 - 20 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 6 HOURS 30 MINUTES
SERVES: 8

Serving Suggestions for Bea Tollman's Chicken Soup

• Serve with warm biscuits and butter
• Sprinkle with seasonal herbs
• Top with cracked pepper

Beatrice "Bea" Tollman, President and founder of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection and TTC, published a cookbook that is her memoir of “A Life in Food.” Her book is a celebration of recipes that have either been passed down in the family or discovered while traveling, and all have been perfected from her own personal experience and expertise in the kitchen. For the enthusiastic amateur cook, the recipes are relatively quick and simple to prepare with ingredients that are easily sourced.