Chicken Soup

Auntie Leah’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Okay, let me just say right off that the healing properties of chicken noodle soup are pretty much nullified if you make it vegetarian. You need the darker meat and fat from the thighs for the healing properties.  Making it with lean chicken breast or chicken breast tenders will not produce the same results.  Made vegetarian or with white meat chicken, it will still have a good flavor, but it won’t make you feel any better.  Note: takes 2-1/2 hours to make.

  • 5-6 chicken thighs (skinless and boneless if you prefer not to de-bone the meat)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3-4 large carrots, chopped
  • 3/4 can chicken broth (about 9-10 oz.)
  • 1 can chopped or diced tomatoes (optional, not everyone liked tomatoes in their soup)
  • 2 teaspoons salt, or less to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pepper, or less to taste
  • 1 teaspoon oregano (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon basil or 3-4 tablespoons fresh basil (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 1/2 package medium-wide egg noodles (about 6-8 oz. dry), cooked according to the package directions; don’t add noodles to soup until ready to serve.

Using a large soup or stock pot, cover the chicken with water and add water until it is 2″ above the tops of the chicken pieces. Remember one finger/knuckle joint is about 1″ so place the tip of your finger on the chicken and add water until it reaches the second knuckle from the finger tip.  Turn the heat under the pot up to high and bring the water and chicken to a boil.  Add the vegetables and chicken broth and spices and return to a boil.  Simmer for 2 hours.  Using a wooden spoon or tongs, remove the chicken pieces.  De-bone, discard bones, and cut remaining meat into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the soup.  Add cooked noodles and heat thoroughly.  Serve warm.

Note: Time Requirements – It takes about 1/2 hour to chop everything and pre-cook the noodles.  It takes 2 hours of simmering to get the chicken and vegetables done. Make it on a weekend and save it to reheat with the noodles later in the week, OR make up a double batch and freeze half of it with the noodles small batches (use quart-size ziploc freezer bags) for a sick day in the future, OR make it in a crockpot while you’re away at work or school and add the noodles right before you eat.

 

Variations

Option 1: Rice – If you make this soup several times during flu season, try substituting 3 cups cooked rice (white or brown) for the noodles for a change of pace.

Option 2: Creamy – Substitute 1-2 cans cream of chicken soup for the 3/4 can of chicken broth for a creamier soup.

Option 3: Cook-while-at-school or work: Cook this soup all day in the crock pot on low.  Follow the recipe up to the “remove chicken to de-bone” step. De-bone the chicken and add the meat in with the noodles when you get home.  If you try to add the noodles or even rice early in the cooking stage, the starches in the noodles and rice break down and you just get a mushy soup without the firm texture of noodles or rice. It also doesn’t work to add in uncooked noodles or rice.  They take too much of the soup juice and still turn to mush.

Option 4: Hearty Double Noodle: Our family likes A LOT of noodles, so I use an entire 12 oz. package.  I cook the noodles in the morning (weekend cooking) or the night before (week day cooking), toss them in a little olive oil to prevent them sticking together in a big clump, and store in the refrigerator in a gallon Ziploc bag. For spices, I use 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, and one bay leaf.  I hate de-boning anything, so I buy skinless, boneless chicken thighs.  After they cook all day in the crockpot, the thighs are easy to shred.  I like the smell of sautéing vegetables, so I spray a small frying pan with Pam, mince 2-3 garlic cloves and sauté them with the onions and celery before adding to the soup in the crockpot.  When we come home at the end of the day, the chicken soup is almost ready–all I need to do is shred the chicken and add the noodles–and the scent of sautéd vegetables is still lingering in the kitchen from the morning preparations, mixing with the smell of the simmering soup.  Yum!