Chicken Noodle Soup

There's something about chicken noodle soup that speaks of home. Maybe it's the warm broth, soothing many a sore throat or steaming red faces fresh out of the snow banks. Or maybe it's the tender chicken and perfectly cooked veggies, wholesome goodness that fills hungry stomachs. Or it could be the noodles, each one slightly different, homemade and hearty.

But I think probably it's that every time I eat a bowl of this soup, I think of my mom. A woman who would spend a day making broth, cutting up chicken and rolling out homemade noodles simply because she loves her family. When I eat this soup, it reminds me of a woman who gives and gives just to make others happy and her life story of loving her family helps me on those days where I just don't want to make supper or pick up socks again. Because love does the hard stuff, even at personal cost, to bring joy and peace to others.

"Love each other with genuine affection,

and take delight in honoring each other."

Romans 12:10

Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes about 1 1/2 gal. soup, enough to feed 8 - 12

For the stock:

2 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

1 onion

3 carrots

2 celery ribs

4 garlic cloves, papery skins removed

1 T. peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 gallon water (or chicken broth)

For the soup:

1 recipe for homemade noodles

1/2 cup rice

Minor's chicken base, to taste

1 onion

4 carrots

2 celery stalks

4 - 6 garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Pepper, to taste

Chop onions, carrots and celery (for the stock) into large chunks.

Toss onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns and chicken 

into large stock pot with 1 gallon of water. 

Later on the recipe calls for using Minor's chicken base to deepen the flavor of the broth.

 If you are unable to get Minor's, use chicken broth here in place of the water. 

Bring stock to boil and simmer on lowest heat setting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until chicken is tender. 

Turn off the heat and let sit for 1 hour. 

While you are waiting, you can chop up the vegetables for your soup. 

Cut the carrots into quarters lengthwise.

And then into small "squares"

Cut the celery into 1/4 inch pieces and mince the onion. 

The garlic will need to be minced as well, but wait to do this until just before you add the veggies to the soup. 

Set the prepared vegetables aside.

While the stock is simmering, you can also make your homemade noodles. 

Use this recipe (make a double recipe), 

and then set the noodles aside while you wait for the stock to finish. 

When the chicken and stock is finished, fish the chicken out of the stock and set on a plate to cool.

You just want it cool enough to handle without burning yourself.

Place cheesecloth or a few layers of paper towels into a strainer 

and then set the strainer over a large pot or bowl. 

Strain the stock to remove the fat. 

Discard the vegetables that were used to flavor the stock.

Clean out the stock pot and return the chicken broth/stock to the pot. 

Cut the cooled chicken into bite-sized chunks. 

Now it's time to actually make the soup!

Add chopped vegetables and minced garlic to the broth.

Add rice.

And noodles.

Lastly, add 2 T. of the Minor's chicken base. 

(You can also add up to 1/2 gallon of water if there seems to be too much soup goodness and not enough broth. If there's not enough broth, the noodles and rice won't cook properly.)

Simmer veggies, rice, and noodles in the broth for 20 minutes.

Then add the chicken and season. 

To season, my mom never adds salt, she just adds more Minor's chicken base (which is quite salty) if the broth is lacking salt and flavor. Keep adding chicken base until you are happy with the flavor of the broth. 

Then stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and a few grinds of pepper. 

Soup can be refrigerated and kept for up to 3 days. Simply reheat on the stove. You may need to add a little more water and Minor's if soup has absorbed too much of the broth. 

Recipe from my mom.