Here's How Martha Stewart Makes Use Of A Whole Chicken

Martha Stewart's 100th book, "Martha: The Cookbook," is set to be released, and with that many publications under her belt, it's fair to say she probably has more than a few whole chicken recipes up her sleeve. But one of her go-to meals to make when she has whole chickens available is a comfort food classic: chicken soup.

Stewart keeps chickens on her farm, and during an exclusive interview with The Daily Meal, she shared that she had just had over two dozen processed, leaving her with a lot of chicken to put to good use. "I have 25 large roosters in my freezer, and so I am making a most delicious chicken soup this morning with one of them," she said. "And I have leeks from the garden, carrots from the garden, onions from the garden, garlic from the garden, parsley from the garden, that's all I'm using in the actual chicken soup."

While Stewart was keeping this chicken soup fairly simple, she has been known to add other ingredients as well like dill, bay leaves, and thyme. She also has a particular affinity for using parsnips, which add a touch of sweetness and heartiness to the soup.

While it seems like a simple dish to make, there are some mistakes you should avoid when preparing soup. The first mistake to avoid is not using the freshest ingredients you can find. For the best flavor, be sure to choose produce that is at its peak and fresh aromatics rather than powdered or jarred versions. And, of course, if you don't have a flock of hens and roosters like Martha Stewart does, make sure that you pick out the most flavorful chicken at the grocery store.

Another mistake is not making your own stock. If you're making soup using a whole chicken, break it down and poach the pieces with veggies and seasoning before removing the chicken from the bones and returning those to the pot to continue to simmer. This way, the chicken is cooked to moist perfection and the meat infuses the stock with more flavor than bones alone could lend to it.

Also, make sure to skim the stock. You'll want to do this while making the stock itself as well as after the chicken and veggies have been cooked in it to achieve a soup broth that is clear rather than cloudy.

Finally, don't feel compelled to use every last bit of chicken in the soup. Instead, store some and use it the way Stewart told The Daily Meal she might — make an easy chicken salad the next day.

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