My first question was answered rapidly. Thank you ...

Are you adding homemade chicken stock to your soup base?

I usually start by simmering a whole chicken in a large pot of water to cover, until the meat is done and ready to fall off the bones.

Remove the chicken from the pot, remove the meat from the carcass and proceed to make soup pursuant to your usual recipe.

If you do not already have a batch of homemade stock ready to add, here's how to make it for next time:

Put the chicken carcass and skin in a large pot and add filtered water to cover. Add vegetable trimmings from all of the veggies you used in your soup (celery tops, potato peelings, onion skins, etcetera). Add salt and pepper, if desired.

Set it on the back burner and let it cook down until it's reduced by at least half.

When stock is cooked to your satisfaction, you may skim the fat (I usually don't, though) and store in freezer bags or containers for future use.

I sometimes use granular chicken boullion to season instead of salt. The boullion cubes aren't as easy to cook with and you have more control with the granular version. Becareful though because you can over do it. I also like to add chicken gravy or drippings I have frozen when I have some left from another meal. Very yummy and works in a pinch if you don't have time to start from scratch. But of course that is always the Yummiest!