There’s something about chicken noodle soup that makes us feel good. Maybe because it’s nursed us through so many sick days, or been the go-to offering of moms everywhere on cold winter afternoons…whatever the reason, chicken noodle soup is instantly comforting, no matter how old you are.
It’s warming and nostalgic, basic in ingredients but deep in flavor. Broth, chicken, noodles and vegetables…simple on paper and screen, but the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts. Aristotle wasn’t talking about soup when he wrote that, but it feels appropriate.
My version of choice as a little kid was Campbell’s Chicken & Stars. I haven’t eaten it in probably 15 years, but I know it tastes like snow days in the third grade. These days, I’ve moved on from the canned variety, but until recently I’d never attempted to make it from scratch. I’d done a few batches with a pulled rotisserie chicken and carton stock, and they suited well enough, but I never committed to the real thing, whole chicken and all.
Then last month, using the blog as a commitment device, I set about with a list of soon to make dishes, and the weekend’s chilly weather pushed this to the top. In retrospect, I don’t know what I was so worried about. It was so simple and hands off, worth it even just for the intoxicating scent of simmering stock that perfumed my apartment all afternoon.
Bright with lemon and rich with the chicken's natural fat, it's wonderfully salty, creamy and balanced with an underlying earthiness from the fresh herbs. If you're looking for something to warm your bones and sate your appetite - for both nourishment and nostalgia - this fits the bill.
Recipe:
Stock:
1 whole chicken, (about 3 lbs) rinsed and giblets removed
3 carrots and 3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
2 yellow onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
Thyme bundle, about 6 sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
Enough cold water to cover the chicken
Soup ingredients:
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch coins
3 celery stalks, cut into ½ inch slices
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups shredded chicken
8 ounces egg noodles
Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon, halved
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Place the vegetables in a large stock pot, and lay the chicken on top. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken (no more than 3 quarts) and put everything else - garlic, thyme, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns - into the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let it go for at least 2 hours (mine went for 3) partially covered. Season the stock to taste, and remember that salt intensifies the longer it cooks. You'll know when it's right.
When your stock has fully developed its flavor, pull out the chicken and pour the liquid through a strainer to remove impurities, reserving it. When the chicken has cooled, pull it apart with a fork and set it aside. (It will yield extra, so save that for another dish.) Simultaneously, add butter to a soup pot and soften the garlic, onions, celery and carrots for about 10 minutes on medium low heat.
When vegetables have softened, add the stock back into the pot and fold in the chicken. Lastly, add the noodles and allow soup to simmer for 5-8 minutes until the noodles are tender. Just before serving, sprinkle with a handful of fresh herbs and the juice of one lemon.
Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
I used fresh parsley and egg noodles this time, but next time I'm going to try cilantro and orzo, with a little cinnamon and cayenne. Really any pasta is fine, so long as you use something that can stand up to sitting in the broth. Other than that, this is infinitely customizable. I hope you'll experiment and find a version that you like.
Waiting for a snow day to pair with my soup,
Kira
PS, does anyone else remember this little gem?
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