Chicken Soup w or w/o Barley & Mushrooms/Onions Sauteed

Chicken Soup w or w/o Barley & Mushrooms/Onions Sauteed
Recipe Number: 1311
Contributor: serenity

Serves:
Calories Per Serving:
Preparation Time:
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 4# Old Fatty Chicken
1 Med Yellow Onion chopped up
3 Celery Stalks with the Tops, cut into chunky pieces
3 large Carrots, scraped & cut into large pieces
1 Rutabaga cut into 3 large pieces
1 Parsnip cut up any which way

Salt
Pepper
about 1 tsp each: caraway seeds, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Optional:
2 Cups rinsed pearl Barley NOT quick cooking
some sauteed in butter mushrooms and onions

Cooking Instructions:

Put the chicken in 6 or so qts of cold water in big pot. Add salt and pepper to taste - you know what you like. Bring to boil and simmer for 2 hours. Remove scum when it appears. Add vegetables and remaining seasonings and simmer for 1 hour more.

If you would like the Barley and Mushrooms/Onions - add them at the same time as the vegetables. You may have to cook a bit longer with the Barley.

When done, remove the chicken & make salad or eat as is. Put pot with everything else in the refrigerator over night. Next morning, skim off fat and put in freezer for other recipes. Freeze some soup - put the rest in the refrigerator.