Soup Essentials The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Add 3 of the carrots, 3 stalks of the celery, half the onion, the chicken, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf to a large stock pot. Separate the parsley leaves from the stems and reserve the leaves. Add the stems to the pot. Cover with 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the broth is golden and the chicken is cooked through, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and put in a large bowl to cool. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or other container. Discard the solids. Wipe out the stockpot and pour the strained broth back into the pot.
• Cut the remaining 2 carrots diagonally into 1/4-slices. Cut the remaining 2 celery stalks into 1/2-inch slices. Dice the remaining half of the onion. Add the cut vegetables to the stock and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While the vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles until al dente, about 5 minutes, then drain and reserve.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and tear the meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and skin. Add the meat back to the pot along with the cooked noodles. Chop the reserved parsley leaves and add to the pot. Season with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt and some pepper and bring to a simmer to reheat.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and oil, and boil for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse under cool running water.
• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine broth, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery and onion. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles and chicken, and heat through.

Steps:

• Peel carrots and add peels to a Dutch oven or other large pot. Trim off ends and leafy tops from celery; add to the pot. Trim dark green stalks from leek; rinse. Cut into 2-inch pieces and place into the pot; add bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Smash and peel 2 garlic cloves and add to the pot.
• Finely chop the light green and white parts of the leek; rinse and set aside in a medium bowl. Slice carrots into small pieces and add to the bowl. Slice celery on the bias and combine with the carrots and leeks. Mince remaining garlic; set aside separately.
• Cut away the skin from the chicken breast; set aside. Place chicken in the pot with the vegetable trimmings and pour in broth to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove chicken; discard skin. Wrap chicken to prevent it from drying out. Strain broth and discard vegetable trimmings.
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat; cook chicken skin until lightly crisp and fat has rendered out, about 8 minutes. Remove skin and increase heat to medium-high. Add reserved chopped vegetables; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and thyme; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in strained broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook egg noodles at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain.
• Season broth with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice; taste and adjust as needed. Stir in shredded chicken and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
• Scoop egg noodles into serving bowls and pour soup on top; garnish with parsley. Serve hot.

Steps:

• For the stock, in large pot, combine all ingredients and add just enough water to cover.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to the barest simmer and cook 4 hours, occasionally skimming the scum off the surface.
• Strain stock into a large bowl and discard solids except for chicken halves, set those aside.
• To make soup, in large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add onions, carrots and celery.
• Cook about 10 minutes.
• Add 6 cups stock.
• Cook 25 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender.
• Meanwhile, pull chicken into shreds from reserved chicken halves; discard skin and bones.
• Add chicken to stock, along with dill and noodles, and cook until noodles are al dente, 8-10 more minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper (the stock is unsalted; it may need more than you think).
• Serve hot.

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• Gather your Ingredients (mise en place)
• Place the chicken in a large pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and set the heat to medium high.
• Allow the pot to come to the boil, and skim of the congealed foam that rises to the top, about 15 minutes of skimming.
• Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook the chicken until it becomes tender, about 75 - 80 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool down.
• When it is cool enough remove all the chicken from the bones, and discard the skin; but reserve the bones.
• Add the bones back into the liquid and lightly simmer, covered for an additional 60 minutes.
• After 60 minutes remove all the bones.
• Chef's Tip: The reason we are removing the bones from the liquid is because this is a shredded chicken soup, and if you leave the carcass in until the end, when you attempt to remove it, all the shredded chicken will cling to the carcass... I speak from experience.
• Be careful to remove ALL the bones, sometimes little tiny pieces can come off the carcass, and get missed, and we don't want our guests choking on a chicken bone. I will usually pass the liquid through a strainer... just to be sure.
• Chef's Note: You are now at the crossroads. Since we still have a bit of cooking time left, you have a choice to make. You can continue with the recipe, or you can stop here, refrigerate the liquid, and the chicken, and finish this dish the next day... Up to you.
• Chef's Note: If you are choosing to refrigerate, then when you take the liquid out of the fridge, remove the congealed fat that is on the surface. If you are continuing with the recipe, then use a small spoon to remove some of the liquid fat that will rise to the top. But don't take it all away... A little fat is good for flavor.
• STAGE TWO
• Return the liquid to a burner over medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken back into the liquid, along with the bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, and parsley, and slowly bring to the boil.
• Chef's Note: Don't bother to cut up the chicken, it will shred naturally, during the cooking process.
• Reduce to a slow simmer, and allow to cook covered for about 60 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Every 10 minutes, or so, remove the cover, and give the soup a stir.
• After the cooking process has been going on for 30 minutes, uncover and add the chopped onions. Cover, and then resume the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• After 60 minutes, add the remaining veggies, and continue to cook covered, for an additional 30 - 40 minutes, or until the veggies have achieved the desired tenderness.
• Chef's Note: As before, give it a stir about every 10 minutes.
• Chef's Note: If you are adding homemade egg noodles, then add them about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking process.
• Chef's Tip: This soup freezes quite well, but not with any noodles. If you freeze this soup with noodles, when you reheat it, the noodles will come out as mush. I hate it when that happens.
• At the end of the process, remove the bay leaves, do a final check for proper seasoning, and add a bit more salt and/or pepper, if needed.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Bring the pot to the table, stick in a ladle, and let your guests dish up their own portions. That's called serving it up rustic, or "family" style. Or, you could choose to put it into some nice homey bowls, but don't forget the bread and/or some nice crackers. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.