CHICKEN SOUP

SERVES: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

1                 Fryer, 3-4 pounds ***

                  Water to cover chicken

1-2 sprigs   Fresh thyme

4 stalks      Celery, leaves too – cut into 2” lengths

6 cloves      Fresh garlic, peeled and mashed
2 TBSP       Whole peppercorns

1                Bay leaf 

4-5            Carrots – peeled and sliced chunky

2 tsp.          Cayenne pepper flakes or 2-3 shakes of ground cayenne

1                 Onion – chopped

12                Mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced

3 stalks      Celery, sliced on the diagonal

2 TBSP        Butter

1 C            Baby June peas - frozen (optional)

8 oz. bag    WIDE Egg noodles

                 Salt

                 Fresh ground pepper   

DIRECTIONS:

Cut chicken into quarters; combine chicken and cover with water.  Add next 5 ingredients in a large pot and add water to cover chicken by about an inch.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 60 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a plate to cool; remove and discard skin; remove meat from bones and pull/cut into chunks.

Strain stock to remove all the veggies; discard veggies.  Add water [or purchased chicken stock] to the chicken broth to make 10 cups of liquid.  Add back into the pot.  Add chicken and cayenne pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cover.  Meanwhile.....

In a separate pan or wok, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, onion and celery 4-5 minutes.  Add these to pot.  Bring contents of the pot back to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer 15-30 minutes.

Cut carrots into inch lengths and then split the large end one in half down the middle.  Add carrots to the pot and return to simmer.  After 7-8 minutes, add noodles to the pot.  Cook for about 7-8 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and let soup rest about 15-20 minutes before serving. (This gives the noodles time to soak up the yummy broth.) Check to see if carrots and noodles are done.  If not, bring back to a boil and cook 2-4 minutes.  Check for salt, pepper and cayenne and add more of these to taste.

Note:  Chicken can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated.  Stock should be refrigerated until ready to use.  Skim solid fat from stock. 

Add the remaining chicken carcass to a pot with the drippings, celery leaves, salt and pepper.  Add water to cover and simmer for about an hour until the meat is falling off the bone. No need to add thyme or garlic, as that’s already in the stock from the baked chicken.

Remove from heat and fish out the chicken/bones and spread on a platter.  Strain the pot liquid and toss the celery leaves and other herb.  Return the liquid to the pot.  Pick the chicken from the bones and add to the pot.

***ALTERNATES:

First – bake a chicken with my recipe below and enjoy a meal for two.  Then follow the direction at this link for the best chicken stock you'll ever use!

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/baked-chicken.html

***MORE ALTERNATES:

Replace noodles with 1 C rice (18 minutes-to-cook kind) – after 5 minutes, add carrots and continue as directed above.

or

Replace noodles with 3-4 russet potatoes, cut into large cubes – add carrots and cook for 5 minutes, then add potatoes and cook about 10 minutes; continue as directed above.  Do NOT overcook the potatoes.

or

Replace noodles with Anne’s Frozen dumplings.  Work backwards for cooking times to determine when to add veggies.

Approximate cooking times for veggies:

       

        Noodles – 7-8 minutes

        Carrots – 8-14 minutes

        Peas – 5 minutes

Potatoes – 8-10 minutes

        Rice – 18 minutes