No nonsense chicken soup

My wonderful boyfriend recently told me of a friend of his, who asked why her son disliked the chicken soup she made, then proceeded to explain how she boiled the chicken breast, then cut it up and added the veggies. Here is where you stop and face the truth. Even if you are out of time, like when you are very very sick, if you want to have chicken soup, you will have to use the whole bird. The bones release important amino acids and minerals, and some chemicals that are very much like your OTC medication. They are also the source of flavor and color, in short, you cannot go without the bones. The skin is the source of fat, too, so please wash the bird and place it in cold water to boil.

To make the soup you will also need:
1 cup carrots
1 cup potatoes
1 onion

all veggies cubed

1 pinch salt
thyme or parsley

The water around the bird will start to foam up, so remove any foam from the proteins carefully so you have clear broth. It will take about an hour for the meat to start falling off the bird. Take it out and remove any meat you do not want in the soup. Then return the bones and the rest of the bird with the veggies and cook another half an hour.

Add parsley or thyme before you serve. A few slices of lemon are also a nice touch, especially if you have the flu.

You can add sweet potatoes, celery, parsley roots, peas, cabbage and what not to a soup like this. Some people go crazy and add noodles. The soup above only had carrots and potatoes and it turned out delicious and aromatic. The trick's in the chicken.