Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been making this simple soup for over 20 years. I'm almost embarrassed to share it, but maybe this will encourage someone to try it for the first time. It is SO good! This makes a very thick soup, almost stew-like, which is just how I like it.

* Read through before you start because ingredients are listed in two places.
* You will need a big dutch oven or stock pot, with a lid that fits.
* This is best made on a weekend or when you can watch the pot for a few hours; don't try on a busy weeknight.

Broth:
1 medium yellow onion, unpeeled
2 carrots, scrubbed but unpeeled
2 stalks celery (maybe one big stalk if it's from your garden)
4-8 whole cloves
1 whole chicken, about 4-6 pounds (not cut up)
8-10 whole peppercorns
salt to taste--I do not use much here, maybe 1-2 teaspoons

Break carrots and celery in half or quarters and put in the pot. (I do not use carrot tops but I guess you could. I only got my first carrots this year! )

Cut the onion in half. Stud the skin side with cloves (pricking with a fork or knife may help with that.) Put in pot.

Rinse the chicken. This takes a couple minutes if you've not tried it before, but it's worth it. I clean the sink first and just do it there. Remove the giblets if any; I put them all in the pot except the liver which I throw out. In the back cavity of the bird, remove the large fat pad and discard or save for other purposes. I also reach in and dig out the kidneys and adrenal glands. The easiest thing to do is just rake your fingers really hard & slowly down either side of the backbone (on the inside) and then rinse the bird out again, as the kidneys don't come out in one piece.

Put the bird in the pot. Fill with cold water (do not use hot!!!) until the bird is submerged when you've got it pressed down with a spoon (as it floats), but try to stay 1-2" down from the pot rim if you can.

Add salt and peppercorns. Put the lid on tight.

Turn heat on to LOW. Walk away for about 2 hours.

Now you can prepare for part 2; get this ready while you wait:
1 Tb or so of canola oil, butter, or olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and sliced (I use a wavy-cut slicer for fun, sometimes)
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1/2 to 1 lb (1/2 to 1 bag) extra wide egg noodles (or eggless, if you prefer) Penna. Dutch is good
dried parsley, dried marjoram
salt and ground black pepper

Take a peek. It should be simmering away merrily by now. Skim off any foam that has risen, and/or any obvious oil. At this point, you could probably proceed with the rest, but I often let it simmer another hour or two to help add depth to the stock.

When you're ready to proceed, turn off the heat. Remove the carrots, celery and onions (tongs help) and discard. Put a large bowl in your sink, with a colander inside. This next step is a bit tricky: You need to get the bird into the colander without spilling the soup or burning yourself...and it is probably going to fall apart a little while you're moving it, so be ready for that. What I do is put the pot on a towel right next to the sink (minimal travel distance) and then use the tongs to get a grip up inside the back cavity. Once the bird is in the colander, let it drain for a few moments, and then transfer it to a cutting board.

Now you can pour the rest of the soup into the colander. (The bowl under the colander is big enough for this, right?? If not...be ready with a second bowl.) The colander should filter out any stray pieces of skin or veg, plus the peppercorns.

Give your stock pot a quick clean-out (there's usually some scum sticking to it). Add oil of choice, then the veggies and some salt/pepper, and saute over low-medium heat for a few minutes until they start to get a little color.

While that is going on, remove all the skin from the chicken. Pull meat off the bones and shred or dice. (If you're new to that: If you're not sure you want to eat it, throw it out. Feel carefully with your fingers for any small pieces of bone, too.)

Once the vegetables have gotten a little color/started to smell good, add the chicken meat, then add the stock back in. Give it a good stir (heavenly!) and let the pot come back up to a good simmer before you add the noodles. Continue to cook until the noodles test done (I go by the time on the bag plus taste-testing). Add parsley or any other herbs you like. Taste, adjust seasonings, and enjoy!

It is possible to get the chicken broth even darker/richer, but that's a story for another day.....

girl, you cook the way i do!

anytime you start with an entire chicken to make soup, you have me.

we are hearty users of olive oil and butter here.

also, i add in some sage and rosemary into mine. - pretty much the same other ingredients. - but i put all my base veggies that will be removed later in cheesecloth - saves me having to strain wtih colander. i also use a spoon that's got many holes on it to skim all the fat, icky bits that float to the surface initially.

the chicken i do remove and debone - much as you suggested.

i use rice more often than not - the texture turns out better than using gluten free noodles - at least that's been my experience. brown rice/white rice/whatever i have closest to hand at themoment - i just toss in about an hour or so before i serve and it's usually perfect - not too over cooked (adjust time for adding rice depending on variety - brown rice, one hour, white rice, 20 minutes or so, jasmine rice, about 1/2 hour. . .

i have some chicken soup in freezer right now - you're inspiring me to serve this for lunch today!

and that's another point - freezes awesomely! so folks reading along - don't be afraid to make a big pot of it - even if your family size is small. just freeze in 2 cup servings - that's enough for a seriously hearty serving and leftovers even for a person. - or other size containers based on size of family. i've discovered that those 24-32 oz yogurt containers is PERFECT for our family for just the right amount of soup to serve for a meal - no leftovers though from that size (we're family of 5 - 3 are kids).

yum!

happyfrog wrote:girl, you cook the way i do!

LOL!

Yes, I've changed up the herbs any number of times... even added cumin, which adds a nice smoky hint. I love sage and rosemary, too.

I have never bothered with the cheesecloth as it's just one more thing to mess with, and enough small pieces come off the bird that I find the colander useful. The main point is, you want to get all the solids out of the pot before pouring out the stock, otherwise chunks could fall down and splash and burn you with hot stock.

We don't have gluten issues here so I've always just used the noodles. I'm glad you've added that suggestion, though. My bean soups I do use rice exclusively! Just seems to go better that way.

I made this batch of soup for freezing, actually... it's going for my niece who just had twins. The cooking went a little slower this week than I would have liked, but, it's still going! And yes, freezing in 2-cup portions is perfect. But we are a family of only two, and when I make a pot for us, even a pot this big does not last long at all. Too yum! In fact, I may snitch a couple of bowls for brunch before I freeze the rest of it.... Yum!!!

I am thawing out a chicken today and making this tomorrow. Thanks for the idea, Megan!

HF, there used to be a restaurant in my town that was renowned for their chicken rice soup which seemed to be made of only chicken stock, rice, chicken meat, and chopped celery. I tried many times unsuccessfully to duplicate the soup at home. After the owner died, one of his former employees told me that his secrets were that he added potato water to his chicken stock (leftover from cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes), and just before serving the soup he added a few drops of lemon juice.

I tried both of those things, and it made all the difference.

ander217 wrote:I am thawing out a chicken today and making this tomorrow. Thanks for the idea, Megan!

HF, there used to be a restaurant in my town that was renowned for their chicken rice soup which seemed to be made of only chicken stock, rice, chicken meat, and chopped celery. I tried many times unsuccessfully to duplicate the soup at home. After the owner died, one of his former employees told me that his secrets were that he added potato water to his chicken stock (leftover from cooking potatoes for mashed potatoes), and just before serving the soup he added a few drops of lemon juice.

I tried both of those things, and it made all the difference.

this is very useful info! esp as we speak, i have a crockpot simmering away of chicken soup (will add the rice in later) for dinner as it's bone cold here today and my joints ache - so always a good time for soup. 'sides, the kids are battling illnesses and chicken soup is always so curative!

i guess i'll just have to make a batch of potatoes to serve on the side (the kids will love that!) in order to test out that potato water theory - it seems plausible - i save potato water when i know i'll make potato rolls - those taste so much better than 'regular' rolls. (or so the family says - i don't eat them - allergic to wheat).

I use a whole chicken, too, but I cut it up so it and all the veggies will fit in my soup pot!

To keep it all under the surface of the water/stock, take your vegetable steamer (yep, the one that opens like a flower) and open it. Now turn it upside down over all the stuff in your pot -- the weight of the steamer will keep everything submerged.

LaFee wrote:I use a whole chicken, too, but I cut it up so it and all the veggies will fit in my soup pot!

To keep it all under the surface of the water/stock, take your vegetable steamer (yep, the one that opens like a flower) and open it. Now turn it upside down over all the stuff in your pot -- the weight of the steamer will keep everything submerged.

brilliant! don't know why i never thought of that! i use that strainer basket for other than steaming - one of the uses is: i use it lined with cheesecloth or paper coffee filters to strain out my homemade yogurt to make it 'greek style'.

'fraid I can't claim that one -- that one is an Alton Brown tip from the Food Network.

Thanks LaFee for that reminder. I usually forget and/or don't bother.

And have fun, Ander! I am sure it will be great. I wish I had another thawed bird because it is FREEZING COLD here today (brrr!!!!) and soup would be so nice. I may make some hot and sour soup, as it's so much faster to put together.

Megan wrote:It is possible to get the chicken broth even darker/richer, but that's a story for another day.....

It's another day! I'm certain there are other ways to do this, including use of browning agents, etc. But this is my favorite. It kind of harks back to Ander's comments about using potato water, etc.

How to your chicken stock darker and richer

When you roast, fry, or otherwise eat chicken (or turkey) on the bone, save the carcass, bones, and leftover shreds of meat/gristle/skin that you were otherwise going to throw out. (This is NOT something to save large chunks of fat for, though, like that fat pad on the chicken's rear.) Put in a gallon-size ziptop bag in the freezer. Let collect until you have a couple-three carcasses (a quart or two's worth, anyway). I don't measure. Basically when the bag is 2/3 full and it's hard to fit anything else in, you're there.

Before you start making the soup (recipe above):

Preheat oven. I vary the temperature depending on how much time I have... low temp is preferable if you've got the whole day; around 250-300 F, but I will take it up to 350 if I am in a rush.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil (parchment, Silpat, etc.) Spread out the chicken carcasses/pieces on the pan as much as possible -- not touching is preferable but not necessary. Drizzle with olive oil. (Canola or other veg oil is fine, but I like the flavor of olive oil here.) If you happen to want to lay a few sprigs of rosemary here and there, that would be lovely. Sprinkle with salt--very lightly but enough to touch a little of everything.

Now ROAST AWAY! until the smell has you going nuts. Turn the pieces over, roast some more. You are trying to get the bones and whatever leftover meat/skin/etc. browned up all over (create lots of fond, as Alton would say.) Fat and so forth will sizzle and burn a little on the foil, that's fine so long as you're not producing charcoal.

That is it, really. Turn off the oven, you're done. Proceed with the soup recipe as usual, except cram whatever of these lovely darlings will fit into your stockpot along with the whole, fresh bird. The oil and rosemary if you wish, too. I put them underneath the fresh bird to help shield it from any contact burning with the bottom of the pot, a habit leftover from back when I did not have a good heavy-bottomed stockpot.

Your broth will thank you!

A few notes:

* You will probably need to do more oil skimming with this method when working on the actual soup.
* It also adds a ton of gelatin to the soup....YUM! Any leftover soup will set up like nobody's business, but it melts again when reheated.
* You may not have room for all the bones/etc and the fresh bird; if so, bag up the bones and freeze them again. You won't need to re-roast them for the next batch of soup.
* You can make a great soup from just the roasted carcasses, minus the fresh bird. This is my favorite way to begin black bean or split pea soup.
* You can omit the salt from this if you are watching your sodium. I do think it helps to draw out moisture and crisp it up a little more, though.

also -- feel free to crush/break/cut bones (with poultry shears if necessary) -- not only will they fit better into the pot, but it releases all the lovely marrow into the broth.

Stock is also a great place to use green leek tops, carrot peels, onion skins, turnip tops, etc., etc., etc -- they're not all that appetizing to eat outright, but they have lots of flavor.

Onion skins will give a golden hue to your poultry stocks (they're used to make dyes for wool and fabrics in many places in the world)

If you want clear stock, start with fresh chicken.

If you don't mind cloudy stock, roasted chicken gives great flavor, but puts lots of *stuff* into the liquid.

To clarify poultry stock, strain all the big stuff out and throw away (remember - veggie bits that are now coated with chicken fat go in the trash, and not into your compost). Let the broth cool and skim off the fat collected at the top.

Now bring the broth back to a boil and stir in 2-3 egg whites that have been lightly beaten with a little cold water. Yes, this will look like egg drop soup. Bring to a boil for 4-5 minutes. Let cool, then strain out the egg white. The protein in the egg whites will have glommed on (scientific word, that) to all the particulates floating in the stock, and will leave you with nice clear broth. A little putzy, but worth it if you like nice clear, golden stock.

Yes, I forgot to mention crunching the bones. The carcasses I save are really pretty clean. I pull off every last edible bit I can before I save them, then break them up so they fit better in the bag.

I use onion skins along with the onions (that's in the first recipe). I love the color it adds.

And I just have to giggle...not at you, but at me. I have rarely bothered with egg white rafts. This is because many of my soups are practically stews. I can barely see the broth for all the great meat/veggies/legumes/noodles what-have-you, so clarity is a non-issue for me. (Or, maybe I'm just lazy! )

I'm with you, Megan - I think all the cloudy stuff adds flavor, too...

But once in a while you do get a reason to have clear broth. I can't buy ready-to-use broth here (which drives me bonkers, as I used to buy it by the case at Costco!) - so when I have time to putz in the kitchen, I make stock for the freezer (my itty bitty excuse for a freezer!)...when I do that, I sometimes clarify it, just because rice cooked in funky broth is, well, funky.

I always save the carcasses from roasted chicken, but I'd never thought to roast the bones before. It makes a pretty good broth even without roasting again, but I'll try roasting them next time to see the difference.

Megan, I am preparing to toss my chicken into the pot as soon as I sign off here. I can't wait. The low temp yesterday was eight degrees with wind chills below zero. I am SO ready for some good chicken soup.

soup weather, for sure, and I'm lucky to have a kiddo who would eat soup any time of any day (would you believe he asked me to make him chicken soup on his birthday?!), so tonight is Spanish Bean soup at his request- garbanzos, a ham hock, and chorizo sausage.

Still trying to decide if we're having Cuban sammiches with it.

Can't wait to hear how your soups come out!

Mine was de-lish. Hubby enjoyed it, too.

I intended to add homemade noodles to mine, but I wasn't feeling great so I threw some orzo in it instead. It was still really good, and I look forward to the leftovers today when we're getting hammered with that freezing rain and sleet that is forecast for us.

Megan,

I'm "late to the party", but this recipe looks fantastic! We are scheduled for colder weather through the weekend, so this is on the weekend menu.

Thanks for the recipe

Jane

Hi Jane! Hope you like it! It is a great favorite of ours.

Megan, this is the best!

I made it this afternoon. We have a lot going on this week (starting tomorrow) and I thought this would be great to have on hand.

Thank you, thank you for sharing! It is instantly a family favorite here now

Jane

So glad you like it, Jane, thanks!