CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
IS THERE ANYTHING HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP CAN’T CURE?
8 servings
Ingredients:
Chicken Stock:
1 whole chicken, about 3lbs
2 carrots
2 celery
2 onions
1 whole garlic
Thyme (ideally fresh)
2 bay leaves
Black Peppercorns
Chicken Noodle Soup:
Oil
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
3 carrots
3 celery
Thyme (ideally fresh)
1 bay leaf
6-8 oz egg noodles
6 cups chicken stock (see above or buy ready made)
Salt
Pepper
The Blistered Peppers Take:
When I was a kid and home sick, my mom would get chicken noodle soup from the local cafe, Pierre LaFond. I remember I used to avoid all the veggies and just eat the chicken and egg noodles, they were mushy and overcooked but delicious all the same! I had to find a way to replicate this recipe and while most chicken noodle soups are pretty similar to one another - I take one bite of this one and immediately feel reminded of my childhood. Only the cafe’s soup always had oil bubbles at the top… and this one, most definitely, does not!
Homemade chicken noodle soup cures it all - cold, flu, exhaustion, you name it. While you can buy chicken stock (made from bones) or broth (made from meat), this recipe is so much more flavorful when you make the chicken stock from scratch. Plus the chicken cooks with the stock so it saves you from buying ready made meat or trying to cook it separate of the soup. Just trust me!
Steps:
Prep the chicken stock ingredients:
pat down the chicken and remove any remaining giblets
quarter the onions
halve the garlic head (skin can remain on)
chop the carrots and celery into large chunks, about 1/2 inch thick
In a large pot, place the whole chicken and prepped veggies. Add a 1/4 bunch of fresh thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat to low-medium. Simmer for about 1 hour until chicken is cooked through and falls off the bone.
Remove chicken to a cutting board and let cool. Strain the stock into a separate pot or measuring cup, make sure to leave behind the veggies, and set aside. When chicken has cooled, remove the skin and bones, then shred the meat - with 2 forks or tongs - and set aside.
Now make the soup! Prep the soup veggies:
chop the onion, carrots, & celery, about 1/4 inch thick
mince garlic
In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until tender. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 5 minutes then add the shredded chicken and cook for about 2 minutes to heat through.
If your pasta/noodle package says to cook for a bit longer, that is fine! Just remember to add the chicken before the noodles are fully cooked - you don’t want to overcook them as they will get mushy.
