Alphabet Chicken soup - Part II

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MY Gosh...tonight's chicken soup was the BEST EVER!!! Here's what I did...


~3 1/2 lb chicken, cut into pieces
3 medium whole yellow onions with an "X" cut into the top (big X and yes, skins still on)
5 stalks celery with leaves, cut up into chunks
3/4 bag shredded carrots (10 oz bag)
16 cups water
2 boullion cubes
2 small pinches turmeric (I went scant on this as I wasn't sure what it would do but the recipe in the book called for it so I trusted and went for it.)
Big pinches of: dried basil, oregano, dill
Lots of kosher salt - probably 1 1/2 - 2 tsp at the beginning and another good teaspoon at the end
4 good shakes of pepper through the "pour spout" of a cardboard pepper shaker - couldn't find my pepper mill. Hmmmm.

*1 c. alphabet pastina (added at end, read below)

Put all together in huge stock pot and cover.

I put this on the stove at 9 this morning...around 9:45 the froth started forming so I removed what I could and reduced heat to simmer. I would stop by to poke it and move things around every half hour or so but I didn't stand by and watch. Simmered until 11:15 when I took the chicken pieces out and removed the meat (easy to do with 2 forks), discarded bones. Put chicken back in and cooked until 11:45. Removed from heat and allowed to cool for a few hours on the stove before I put into new pot and into fridge. I only did this because my soup pot won't fit in the fridge.

Removed from fridge around 5 and scooped out what I wanted to serve. At this point I tried to remove most of the onion skins and break up the big chunks of onion. Brought to boil, added pastina* and more salt, cooked for 4 minutes (pasta al dente because I figured it would sit and cook more in the pot).

Yummmmm. Earlier today I really thought this would be too bland but it was absolutely perfect. The best soup I've made to date, I think. If I were a canning girl, the remainder of this would be stored for sure!!!