Classic chicken noodle soup is a comfort food suitable for any time of the year, but especially during cold winter months and when you are ill. There is a reason why it is called Jewish penicillin! This version is made from scratch, so allow time to cook the chicken. Feel free to use this recipe as a guideline, using canned broth and pre-cooked chicken to save time. The soup may be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen.Crock Pot version
The way the recipe is shown below is a really full bodied flavorful recipe.BUT to do a short cut one can use 2 quarts plus one additional 15 ounce can of broth. (if you want a bit more liquid you can add water or broth--it depends on how much chicken and veggies you use) Use boneless skinless chicken thighs (about a pound) and throw these with the broth in the crock pot. Saute the onions , carrots, celery and put in crock . Add some chopped up sweet potato if you desire and place the seasonings(mentioned below) in as well. Cook for about 6 hours on low. Add parsley near the end of the cooking time. After everything is tender you can throw in some cooked rice or cooked noodles. I love the quinoa corn noodles in this. Garden peas are good in this too.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 (6- to 7-pound) chicken
2 quarts chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth
1 quart cold water, or as needed
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
poultry seasoning--sprinkle it in and then you can add more latter to taste
rosemary and thyme is also a good addition
you can add a chopped sweet potato too!
2 cups egg noodles
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish SEE MY ADDITIONS BELOW
PREPARATION:
Heat the oil in a brothpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes.
If there are any pads of yellow fat in the tail area, do not remove them. Add the chicken to the pot and pour in the broth. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Add sage and rosemary also if you like! Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Let stand 5 minutes and degrease the soup, reserving the fat if you are making matzo balls. Discard the chicken skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Add the noodles and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Stir the meat back into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. (The soup can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months.) Yield: 12 to 14 servings.
The thing I did differently is--I added some fresh sage and rosemary. Also sprinkled poultry seasoning. I used cooked rice instead of noodles. Garden peas are good too. Garlic is good also.
