Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup is one of those must-know recipes for a great comfort meal, especially during the cold winter months.  My grandmother was known to make her famous chicken noodle soup almost every day for lunch.  It always accompanied sandwiches or other leftovers but was something everyone looked forward to every time they came to her table.  It was a special soup and had wonderful fresh flavor, but like many grandmas, she didn’t write the recipe down, it was just something she “whipped up”.  Grandma recently passed away, and for the life of me, I don’t know why I never asked her for the recipe, so this recipe is my best recollection of how it tasted.  I do know that she used just a pinch of nutmeg that added a unique, but delicious flavor to the soup…just don’t use too much…just a pinch!

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Servings: 8 to 10 servings

Author: Jennifer Locklin

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 medium carrots diced
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 2 quarts chicken stock recipe follows
• 8 ounces dried pasta used: Skinner Fideo Mediano
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Pinch of nutmeg
• For Stock:
• 1 whole chicken about 3 1/2 pounds, rinsed, giblets discarded
• 2 carrots cut in large chunks
• 3 celery stalks including leafy parts, cut in large chunks
• 2 large white onions quartered
• 1 head of garlic halved
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper

Instructions

• For Stock: Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts). Add salt and pepper, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. While it cooks, skim any foam that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering, but not too much or it will taste watery.
• Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and pull meat from bones; discard the skin and bones. Roughly chop into bite-size chunks and set aside.
• Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids.
• Yield: 2 quarts stock
• For Soup: Place a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the stock, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Gently fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes to heat through; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in parsley and serve.