Several years ago I read of a typographical error that resulted in the restaurant's menu offering "Chicken Poodle Soup". This has stuck with me and I at times find it difficult to even think the word "noodle" in combination with "chicken" and "soup". Though since I now have a couple of small someones to teach about how the world works, I've really been trying to break that habit.
We have all had a yucky cold and both the girls ended up with croup, so I decided to make some chicken noodle soup the other day. Try this and you'll never go back to canned soup. Measurements are rather vague because I don't measure.
Chicken Noodle Soup
1 chicken
water
carrots
celery
pasta (not angel hair or anything tiny that cooks quickly)
salt
parsley (I use dried)
Put the chicken in a large pot and cover (or mostly cover, if your pot isn't big enough) with water. (Those pasta pots with the perforated inserts are perfect for this.) Bring to a boil, lower the heat, put the lid on and simmer for 2-ish hours. Take the chicken out of the pot and let it cool a bit. Tear about half the meat into bite-sized pieces, tossing them back into the broth as you go. Save the rest of the chicken for something else (or another batch of soup, later). Turn the heat back up and while you're waiting for it to come to a boil, chop up some carrots and celery. I use maybe 3-4 cups (several handfuls) of carrots and 4 ribs of celery. Put those into the pot. When it's boiling, add about 8 oz (usually half a package) of pasta. If it's something long like spaghetti break it into 2-3" pieces as you put it in. Add about a tablespoon of salt and 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of dried parsley. Cook for 10-15 minutes or however long is appropriate for your chosen pasta. Check to make sure the carrots are soft and taste to see if it needs more salt before turning off the burner.
*If you're short on time, boil a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts for about 20 minutes. Chop those and add to the resulting broth and continue as directed, halving the amounts stated.
This stuff is seriously good.
2 comments:
Okay, that sounds brilliant at first read. I'll have to have a go at it.
Was it made with real poodles? Hope everyone is feeling better - I can never hear about croup without wanting to reread Anne of Green Gables.
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