Chicken Booyah Soup is the big-pot chicken and vegetable soup from Green Bay, Wisconsin: a whole chicken boiled into its own broth, shredded, then simmered for hours with cabbage, diced tomatoes, peas, carrots, potatoes, celery and onions, seasoned with poultry seasoning and pepper. One pot makes 20 servings, enough for a crowd or a freezer full of lunches.
How to make it: Boil a 3 to 4 pound chicken in salted water for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, lift it out and shred the meat. Put the chicken back in the broth with the vegetables, tomatoes, peas and seasonings, bring it to a boil, then simmer for at least 2 hours.
Why You’ll Love It
- Feeds a crowd: one stockpot makes 20 servings.
- Its own broth: the whole chicken makes the broth, so there is no carton to open.
- Packed with vegetables: cabbage, carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, tomatoes and peas.
- Mostly hands-off: after the chopping, the pot simmers on its own.
What Is Booyah?
Booyah is a hearty soup from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a summertime staple there. It is called chicken booyah because it starts with boiled chicken, which is then simmered with a medley of vegetables. Traditional booyah simmers all day in a huge kettle; at home, simmering it for at least 2 hours gets you close. Wisconsin booyah can also include beef; the Green Bay chicken booyah here is chicken only.
Ingredient Notes
Whole chicken: A 3 to 4 pound chicken, boiled whole. It gives you both the meat and the broth.
The vegetables: Six stalks of celery, eight large carrots, three large potatoes, half a head of cabbage and two large onions, all diced or chopped.
Tomatoes and peas: A 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes and 16 ounces of peas.
Seasoning: Two tablespoons of salt (one for boiling the chicken, one for the soup), a tablespoon of black pepper, a tablespoon of poultry seasoning and 2 1/2 teaspoons of Accent flavor enhancer.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons salt, divided
- 6 stalks celery, diced
- 8 large carrots, diced
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
- 2 large onions, diced
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 16 ounces peas
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Accent flavor enhancer
How to Make Chicken Booyah Soup
1. Boil the chicken. Put the chicken in a large stockpot and add water to cover it by at least an inch. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F).
2. Shred the chicken. Carefully lift the chicken out of the pot, keeping the broth in the pot. Let the chicken cool, then pull the meat from the bones and shred it.
3. Add everything to the broth. Add the shredded chicken, celery, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, diced tomatoes, peas, the rest of the salt, the pepper, poultry seasoning and Accent to the broth. Stir.
4. Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for at least 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender.
How to Make Booyah Ahead
Booyah is easy to split over two days, and doing it that way lets you lift the fat off the broth.
Day one: Boil the chicken as in step 1. Lift it out, shred the meat, and refrigerate the chicken and the broth separately in covered containers. Put the broth in shallow containers so it cools quickly.
Day two: The fat in the broth will have set into a solid layer on top. Lift it off and discard it. Pour the broth into the stockpot, add the shredded chicken and all the vegetables and seasonings, and simmer for at least 2 hours.
The finished soup also keeps well: refrigerate it for up to 3 to 4 days or freeze it in portions.
Tips for Success
How long should booyah simmer?
At least 2 hours after the vegetables go in. Traditional booyah is simmered all day, so a longer, gentle simmer is fine.
How do I know the chicken is done?
After 1 to 1 1/2 hours of boiling, the chicken should reach 165°F on a food thermometer.
What size pot do I need?
A large stockpot. The chicken has to be covered by at least an inch of water, and the broth then holds all the vegetables for 20 servings.
Can I leave out the Accent?
Yes. Season the finished soup with salt and pepper to taste instead.
Variations
- Chicken and beef booyah: Add 1 pound of beef stew meat with the chicken.
- More vegetables: Stir in frozen cut green beans and frozen corn with the other vegetables.
- Coleslaw mix: Use shredded coleslaw mix in place of chopping the cabbage.
- Savory depth: Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and a little soy sauce.
- Bright finish: Stir a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into the pot at the end.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate: Divide the soup into shallow covered containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours; eat it within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze portions for 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Bring the soup to a rolling boil on the stove, or heat portions in the microwave until steaming hot (165°F). Do not reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve booyah in big bowls with oyster crackers on the side.
For more hearty soups, try chicken soup with drumsticks, creamy chicken noodle soup, chicken mushroom wild rice soup, million dollar soup, slow cooker steak soup or a pot of stone soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is booyah?
A hearty chicken and vegetable soup from Green Bay, Wisconsin, made with boiled chicken, cabbage, tomatoes, peas and root vegetables.
How long does booyah cook?
About 1 to 1 1/2 hours to boil the chicken, then at least 2 hours of simmering once the vegetables go in. Traditional booyah simmers all day.
Why is it called chicken booyah?
In Green Bay it is called chicken booyah because it is made with boiled chicken and a medley of vegetables.
Can I make booyah the day before?
Yes. Cook the chicken the day before, refrigerate the chicken and the broth separately, lift the solid fat off the broth, then finish the soup the next day.
Does booyah have beef in it?
This chicken booyah does not. Wisconsin booyah made with chicken and beef adds beef stew meat along with the chicken.
What do you serve with booyah?
Oyster crackers are the classic go-with.
Final Notes
Boil the chicken low and steady, give the vegetables at least 2 hours, and save the extra for the freezer. If you make this chicken booyah soup, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Chicken Booyah Soup
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons salt divided
- 6 stalks celery diced
- 8 large carrots diced
- 3 large potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1/2 head cabbage chopped
- 2 large onions diced
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 16 ounces peas
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Accent flavor enhancer
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a large stockpot and add water to cover it by at least an inch. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F).
- Carefully lift the chicken out of the pot, keeping the broth in the pot. Let the chicken cool, then pull the meat from the bones and shred it.
- Add the shredded chicken, celery, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, diced tomatoes, peas, the rest of the salt, the pepper, poultry seasoning and Accent to the broth. Stir.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for at least 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender.
Notes
Nutrition
Made this recipe? Tap a star to rate it.
Made this recipe?
Tap a star to rate it. It helps other cooks find it.
