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Collagen, specifically using a stock made from roasted and cracked chicken bones, has not been mentioned in any of the responses thus far.
Although roasting the bones is not necessary, you must crack them. To do this, cut the bones into pieces that are between 2 and 3 inches (5 and 7 cm) in size using a large, heavy knife or cleaver (do not use a Chinese vegetable cleaver as you risk damaging the edge). After submerging them in cold water, gently bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for a few hours. Vegetables can also be added, but by the time the simmering is finished, you’ll want to discard them because they’ll be overcooked.
After that, strain everything and use that as the soup’s base.
Stock with sufficient collagen will set up like jello and maintain its shape if it is refrigerated. While tapioca leaves small granules in the soup, flour (unless cooked as a roux) leaves a raw flour taste, and corn starch will break down if cooked for an extended period of time, starches can work, but they’re not the best for soup.
I dont see any starch on the list. Starch is generally how you thicken stocks and sauces.
Probably the most popular and easiest to locate is corn starch; a tablespoon or so should produce the desired effects. Just make sure to add it and stir well, before adding too much heat, to avoid lumps in the soup.
Using a roux is a more dependable method, but the result will be more “creamy.” If you’re just looking for a tiny bit of thickening, try using tapioca flour or corn starch.
I will apologize in advance for this bad pun. “It all boils down to this” (LOL): Chicken or beef stock from a “Stock Pot” that has been simmering all morning, or frequently all day, is the foundation of many fine professional soups and sauces. As many others have mentioned, this may include dissolved solids and collagen, which give it a “substance” feel. To prevent overcooked noodles in the soup, most excellent restaurants wait to add noodles until almost time for service. When cooked for extended periods of time, potatoes and/or legumes also leech starches, which are thickening agents, into soups. If you want the thickness of your soup but don’t want to spend hours making it, try whisking together three parts flour and one part corn starch quickly with just enough cold water to make the mixture uniform. 15 to 20 minutes before the soup is done, carefully pour this mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps, and stir as you add it. Take great caution because it’s simple to add too much and get gravy instead. lol It only takes a little bit. This is a common technique used in many restaurants, where the corn starch is used to simulate collagen and the flour is used to simulate “dissolved solids.” To “dial in” the ideal consistency, a lot of chefs actually use all of the aforementioned techniques. But remember, when it comes to flavor, nothing beats a well-made “Stock.”
The thickness can be thought of as the dissolved starch to water ratio. The more starch, the thicker the sauce. The less water, the thicker the sauce.
0 dissolved starch / 2 liter water = 0 thickness
Cutting the water supply in half is insufficient to solve the issue.
0 dissolved starch / 1 liter water = 0 thickness
Starches can be found in the ingredients of the soup/stew. For example, if the soup is cooked for an extended period of time, the noodles will begin to dissolve into the broth, thickening it. Of course, this isn’t what you want to happen if you’re making chicken NOODLE soup.
Adding a single batch of noodles at the beginning of the cooking process is one possibility. When adding the remaining noodles, wait until they dissolve and the soup is almost done.
Another option is to start with a different starch food ingredient, such as some finely chopped potatoes or navy beans, and then add the noodles again toward the end.
Although they both take a long time to cook, I believe they both give the soup more nutrients.
Fast starches, such as corn starch or plain flour, can also be used in a matter of minutes or seconds. The simplest method I’ve found to add them is to make a slurry with them and a small amount of cold water, then pour the slurry into the boiling soup and stir quickly. It takes practice to get the hang of using the proper amount, but keep in mind that they both thicken slightly more as the soup cools, so don’t add too much at the boiling point.
When making sauces, I prefer to boil the water down a little bit before quickly adding a starch. I like to add a nutritional starch to stews and soups early in the cooking process.
Two things to consider. They get their soup in a bag. It spends the entire day heating up the starch in the noodles.
This is merely an observation regarding restaurant goods, not an attack on Old Country Buffet per se. It’s highly likely that the soup they gave you was kept in plastic for several days or even weeks. The noodles’ starch will dissolve and thicken the stock to a large extent. Additionally, this process continues as it sits and cooks all day to be ready for service.
Although I wouldn’t be shocked if restaurant soups employed a more sinister chemical treatment, I believe the corn-starch theory to be correct. However, simmering your soup for 10 to 12 hours on low heat will also likely have some starch-releasing effects.
The macaroni and cheese box’s seasoning mix packet was used by my sister to make her soup. It went against the natural homemade idea, I know, but it was really, really good.
The majority of chain restaurant soups also include MSG, sometimes known as flavor enhancer. Corn starch is also in the list of ingredients. Soups are precooked and packaged in plastic unless they are served at a tiny eatery. While some Denny’s use it appropriately, others are losing money and turning away customers.
as an ex professional chef,can I weigh in ??
In the trade, we used to get whole, gutted chickens. We would end up with about 100 carcasses after removing the breasts, thighs, and occasionally the wings as well. These carcasses included bones, pieces of meat, skin, fat, and occasionally even feathers!
Carrot, leek, celery, onion, and herbs like parsley stalks, thyme, and rosemary would be added to that. Cover with cold water and bring to a rapid boil. The fat liquefies in the heated water and rises to the top along with other debris that needs to be skimmed off and discarded. If you don’t do this, your soup will taste terrible because your stock will taste terrible as well.
After bringing your stock to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and leave it alone for at least four hours—six is preferable.
PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THIS IS INDUSTRIAL QUANTITIES. I WOULD SUGGEST 90 MINUTES FOR DOMESTIC.
To maintain the liquid level above the bones, keep skimming off any scum that rises to the surface and add cold, clean water as needed.
Avoid stirring the stock when sieving it as this will cause it to become hazy, which is something you do not want. Pour it into a sanitized pan by ladling it through a chinois, or sieve lined with muslin. You’re searching for a light amber color that is free of particles. Rapidly boil this down to about 2/3 ds its volume. This helps to slightly thicken the soup and concentrates the flavor. Once reduced, taste, and adjust for seasoning. NOW YOU CAN ADD SALT, if needed.
Thus, there are various approaches to phase 2, which involves preparing your meat. Since I know you’re hungry, I’ll give you the quicker and easier method. Dice the meat into pieces that you think fit, but really shouldn’t be larger than an inch (2 5 cm), and chop and peel every vegetable you wish to include in the soup. Transfer a portion of your stock—roughly two pints should do—into a tiny saucepan and add the chicken meat. Next, add the diced carrots (if using), and simmer for ten minutes. DONT FORGET TO SKIM. When all the vegetables are cooked, add the remaining vegetables and heat. Your timings won’t work properly if your chicken and carrots aren’t about the same size. After removing the meat and vegetables from the stock, keep it warm and set it aside.
Now comes phase 3. Think carefully about how much soup you will serve, as it will be ever so slightly thickened. Use cornflour (corn starch) about 1 heaped tablespoon is right. Add just enough cold water to thin it out, but not too much—this is crucial. NO LUMPS !!!. if you have lumps, sieve it. In actuality, strain it anyhow—lumpy soup is the last thing you want. Switch off the stock, and gradually pour in the cornflour. STIRRING ALL THE TIME. DO NOT BOIL.
Divide the soup into portions and top with the chopped vegetables and meat. If the soup is too thick, you can thin it out a bit with the cooking liquor from the meat.
You can refrigerate and cool any leftover stock, as well as any leftover meat or vegetables.
If the stock was made correctly, it will solidify overnight and any impurities will rise to the top where you can discard or remove them. Now that you have finished making soup, that stock is essentially an unrefined consommé that can be used as a foundation for a variety of other recipes.
Here’s a basic recipe for chicken soup that can be modified to make consomme, broth, veloute, cream, enriched, or chowder.
Ill be round later, to help with the washing-up.
Ive just read through some of the previous suggestions. As for cracking the chicken bones. NOT NECESSARY. Since the bones are sufficiently small, porous, and pliable, 90 minutes is more than enough time to extract any flavor and gelatin from them.
Regarding the taste portion of your query, using premium chicken stock or broth that has been reduced (water evaporated) and simmered for a very long time will give your soup a much deeper flavor at the beginning.
In other words – I wouldnt just look at thickness. Try making your own broth or begin with a better prepared base.
Edit: See Joes answer (+1) as well about this point.
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Creamy Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
This is the ONLY chicken noodle soup you will require for the upcoming winter. Trust me.
My mother made this soup countless times throughout every fall and winter I can remember, and it was always my favorite soup growing up. Although I pretty closely resemble the original recipe, cream of chicken is one ingredient that is purposefully left out.
It’s a secret ingredient in almost all delectable casseroles and soups from the 1990s that you may love or hate, but it’s still there in church cookbooks and old family recipes. Although I don’t think it’s completely horrible, I really try to create recipes with as many whole ingredients as I can. A few years ago, one crisp fall day I developed a serious craving for chicken noodle soup, so I set out to make it without using a can. I’m happy to report that I succeeded.
