Chicken Soup

Best of all! Why? Explanation in 2 words - 'Mum's kitchen' ;) It is even said that this is the first and sometimes the only soup that children like ;) It is very easy to prepare, very tasty and healthy (it helps to cure for instance cold and flu ;) )!

Chicken soup became our traditional meal :) We eat it every Sunday :) I do recommend!

P.S. It is not a spider on the spoon, it is a lamp on the ceiling ;)

Ingredients:

• 2kg fresh chicken
• 1 package of filini pasta 

vegs:

• 3 big carrots
• 1-2 parsley(s) (without leaves)
• 1/3-1/2 celery
• 1 leek

spices:

• some lovage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of vegeta (or more if preferred)
• 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt
• 2-3 allspice grains
• 2-3 pepper grains
• 1-2 bay leaves

Optionally:

• Chicken soup cube (like Knorr's)
• Maggi

Preparation:

1. Wash the chicken, cut out all the fat, tripe, etc. and throw it away. 
2. Using a big knife, cut the chicken into 2 pieces (or smaller if preferred, it will shorten the time of preparation).
3. Take a big pot, put chicken inside and fill completely with water. 
4. Add pinch of salt and start boiling (the entire boiling will take around 1,5 hour).*
5. During that time, prepare all the vegs - wash, peel and chop them if necessary.
6. At some point a ,,weird" foam will start appearing on the top of the water. Using a spoon, take it out and throw away.
7. When the foam stops appearing, add spices.
8. After at least 45 minutes of boiling, add vegetables and continue boiling. 
9. In the meantime prepare the pasta, as the instruction on the packaging says. When done, put in a colander and pour cold water on it (it will prevent the pasta from being too sticky).
10. It is good to check if the chicken is ready - take it out from the soup, put on a big place and cut into smaller pieces, checking if it isn't raw inside (put it back in the soup).
11. When done, serve with pasta, carrot pieces and parsley leaves.
12. Bon Appetit! :)

* Here - optionally and especially if the chicken isn't wonderfully fresh - you can put the chicken in a pot with water, add salt (1/2-1 teaspoon) and leave it for around an hour. After that time, change the water completely, add some salt again and continue preparing the soup as the following steps say.

Barley Soup (Krupnik)

Well-known Polish soup, boiled on vegetable/chicken stock with barley :) So easy, standard, tasty and filling, great for children :) 

Recipe from my Mum :)

Ingredients:

• 3 litres of water
• 500g of chicken breasts
• 3-4 big carrots
• 5 potatoes
• 1-2 parsleys
• 1/2 or 1/4 of a celery
• 1/2 onion or 1 green part of a leek
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 3-4 allspice pieces
• 150-200g of barley
• 4 tablespoons of ghee
• 1-3 teaspoons of black, ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• vegeta
• chopped parsley(green part, leaves) or dill (optional, though worth adding)

Preparation:

1. Take a big pot. Put water inside.
2. Wash chicken breasts, cut into cubes, add to the pot, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Start boiling (around 10-15 minutes on an average heat).
3. Using a spoon take out the 'foam' from the top of the soup and throw it away.
4. Wash all the vegetables. Peel and throw away the skins.
5. Cut carrots, parsley and onion/leek into slices, potatoes and celery into cubes.
6. When the water in the pot boils, add onion/leek to the pot, chopped celery and parsley. Boil for 15 minutes on an average or low heat.
7. Add carrots and potatoes and continue boiling.
8. Add 3-4 tablespoons of ghee, bay leaves, allspice and barley. Stir and keep boiling. Stir all the time for 5 minutes so that the barley doesn't burn.
9. Boil for 30 minutes and - if needed - season with vegeta and pepper.
10. Add chopped parsley or dill. It is also possible to sprinkle a particular plate with parsley or dill, it's not necessary to add it to the entire pot with the soup.
11. Bon Appetit! :)