Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

It's the middle winter and we have the sniffles at my house. Nothing cures the winter blues and a cold like homemade chicken noodle soup! I won't like to say this is a quick soup to whip up, but I can't. It takes awhile since you make your own stock,  but after making it a few years ago I can't make any other recipe. Other chicken noodle soups just don't taste as good. Trust me it is worth the time!

​Ingredients

Chicken Stock:

• 1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
• 2 carrots, cut in large chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
• 2 large white onions, cut in large chunks
• 1 head of garlic, halved
• 1 turnip, halved
• 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  

Soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 4-6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 quarts chicken stock, recipe above
  
• 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• salt and pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

Chicken Stock:

• Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much water will make for a weak broth.
  
• Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil.
• Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered. Check until  chicken is done.
• As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
• Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. Let it cool. Discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.
• Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately for soup.

Soup:

• Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil.
• Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf.
• Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
• Pour in your chicken stock (recipe and directions above) and bring to a boil.
• Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Do not put the egg noodles in too early, they cook quickly and will turn into mush if you cook them in the soup too long. Another thing you can do is cook the egg noodles on the side. And pour the soup over the egg noodles. That is what I prefer to do.
• Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and crushed red peppers before serving.

Yield: 2 quarts

Like I said this soup takes awhile to make. But I can't have any other chicken noodle soup. Making your own chicken stock really just puts this recipe over the top. I often double the recipe and freeze 1/2 of it. Mind you I don't freeze the egg noodles. I freeze the stock, veggies, and chicken. I then make fresh egg noodles when I unthaw it. I'm weird about texture and mushy egg noddles are just gross. Hope you find some time this winter to test out this recipe!

Cheers,
Jess