Chicken Noodle Soup
It has been rainy and cold here the past couple days. My cat has taken up residency on my hip or butt at night hoping to catch some warmth. I'm going to have to have a talk with her and let her know that HUMANS lose heat through their heads! Then again she might want to sleep on my head, so I better keep my mouth shut.
Ok, OK, I'll get back to the point! You think I can't hear you, don't you? So I recently came upon a recipe for noodles that I liked so much I decided to use them in my chicken soup. They give a more flavorful taste and have a softer texture than store bought noodles. A great tip is to cook extra chicken breasts in another meal earlier in the week and use the extra in this soup.
So in anticipation (read: Dread!) of old man winter being on his merry way, I decided to make some soul soothing soup to ward off the shivers that have racked my body all week.
I even made those luscious egg noodles to soak up some of that rich broth. I can't wait!
Oh! Look. I don't have to wait anymore. Come to momma!
Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 4
**I always just eyeball my seasonings depending on the dish and our personal taste. So the measurements are approximate.**
1 celery stalk, diced
2 carrots, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp Lawry's seasoning
1 tsp Emeril's orginal seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
6 cups (48 oz) chicken broth or water with chicken bouillon added
2 sprig's fresh thyme
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
Add celery, carrots and onion to a 5 quart pot heated on medium. After they start to release some of their liquid add the garlic. Cook for 3-4 min till the celery and onion are translucent. Add the flour and seasonings to the pot; mix to combine with the veggies. Let it cook for 1 min to release some of the flour taste. Add the chicken broth 1 cup or so at a time; stirring to a make a thick paste after each addition until it starts to thin out. Reduce to a simmer then put in the thyme and chicken and cook uncovered for 20-25 min. During the last 5 min add the noodles continuing to simmer for 5-7 minutes or until noodles are done.
Buttery Egg noodles
Ingredients:
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons butter, melted, cooled
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Whisk eggs and butter together. In another bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and add the butter/egg mixture. Mix together to form a soft ball. Knead in bowl for a few turns then turn out onto floured board. Roll into log and cut into thirds. If you have a pasta machine, roll each piece thinning as you go to #3 on dial. If you don't have one, then, using a rolling pin, to roll dough out to about 1/16 of an inch or thinner. You want to be able to see your fingers shadow through the dough when you hold it up to the light but not so thin you can read words through it. It won't hurt to lay the pieces out on the counter to dry for about 30 min or so, but it won't hurt if you use them immediately either. Slice as thick or thin as you want and toss them in flour then add to soup or boiling water and cook for 4-7 min.