There is nothing quite like chicken noodle soup on a cool day. And although (for here) the days aren't that cool, we had a Harvest Ball at church and soup was on the menu. Even though I didn't take my baby boy, and Sam was at a birthday party, and Nate was at a CE course on dental implants, I sent my three middle children with their Aunt Lindsey, so...I felt obliged to send some food.
Years ago I started making turkey noodle soup using a turkey leg for the meat and broth. But then along the line somewhere, it repulsed me. So now I go with the fresh white meat chicken breast. I'm still improving on this recipe, but I have picked up some tips to make it just a little better here and there.
I wanted to take pictures...I think I actually started to...on Nate's work camera because mine is dead right now. But the camera is where it should be...at his work. So here it is...without pics.
Chicken Noodle Soup
4 chicken breasts
4 quarts water with corresponding amount of boullion/chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch celery
1 pound carrots
1 pound noodles
In a large stock pot, add water, boullion. {Pick the kind you like best. They are not all made equal, and you will get a different flavor depending on your base. That's what will determine the taste of the soup. Do I have a recommendation? Still working on that.}
Add your chicken and onion {cut to the size you like best...this is where I am torn. Do you make them big enough to be easy to pick out? Or do you make them small enough that no one will notice? I've pretty much decided on small, itsy bitsy onion bits, and big chunky celery and carrots. You can chop your vegetables to your own liking. That's just my preference.}
Now, here's a tip that I just learned. Tender chicken is better that tough chicken, and I have gone so far as to bake my chicken to be more juicy because I thought that you couldn't get tender chicken by boiling it in a pot of water. Here's the trick. Don't boil it. Put the water on medium heat. If it begins to boil, turn it down to a simmer. This way you won't get all that scum on top and the chicken should be really tender and delicious. I can't really tell you how long to cook it...isn't that annoying? A guessing recipe. Just cook it until it is done, not pink, registering the appropriate temperature for cooked poultry. It should take about as long to cook as it takes to clean and chop the rest of your vegetables and soothe a fussy newborn. If you have the Bullet Express, this is not a good time indicator for cooking chicken...chicken takes more than 8 seconds. Take the chicken breasts out of the pot.
Add the carrots and celery, bring it to a full boil, and cook until tender. I like mine pretty soft, so I keep it on for about 10-15 minutes. Add noodles and cook according to package instructions. {I usually like the hommemade variety that have to cook for 30 min, but I am usually so crunched for time that I use whatever noodles or pasta that I have on hand. I think thicker is better on the noodles...rotini is pretty fun to try.}
Cut up the cooked chicken and add to your soup. Serve with fresh, hot rolls. Use the recipe from the next post. They are to die for, and easy to make.
