Chicken Stock For The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever!

Chicken Stock For The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever! and even though I have a great recipe listed in my recipe section of this Blog….this recipe is just a bit different. 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I wanted to share with you a recipe that came from my grandma on my Dad’s side….in other words my paternal grandmother.

“How different is this chicken soup recipe?”…you may ask or maybe you won’t ask, but you know me and I am going to tell you anyway.

Why?…

BECAUSE I LIKE YOU!!!!!!!

Oh, sorry….that is a line from the Mickey Mouse club Mouseketeers.

Back to the chicken soup.

Well, this isn’t your regular, everyday one pot chicken soup with noodles.

You see, you make the stock…never boiling but just letting it simmer for just a couple hours which produces this wonderful rich, clear broth….and then you add a few veggies and set aside.

THEN….you make either home made noodles or buy the really thin egg noodles at your supermarket…..which is what I do, and cook them separately.

Now, the fun part.  Keep them separate for serving.

When you are ready to serve, put a nice helping of the egg noodles in each individual soup bowl, filling out the bottoms…

…..and then you add ladles of hot steamy chicken broth with veggies over the top.

WOW! Just wait for the explosion in your mouth.

Of course, you store the left overs in the fridge, …..that is if you have any left overs, but when ready to serve again you do not have to heat up the noodles. Put the cold egg noodles in the bottom of the bowl and add the hot chicken broth with veggies and they are immediately infused with the wonderful broth.

This is so warm and hearty and perfect for weather that has turned colder.

And here is how I make it.  Just like my grandma used to make it.

This is a chicken stock recipe that takes a couple hours but is well worth it. The secret, if there is any is that this broth is simmered slowly and never boiled.

I use a chicken carcas (if you have used a deli chicken for chicken salad sandwiches) or a raw chicken. You will need about 4-5 pounds of chicken or turkey meat, backbones, backs, chicken wings, necks or whatever undesirable eating piece of chicken you have.

Then I add a mirepoix …..which is simply celery, carrots and onions.

You will need about 3-4 stalks of celery cut in 3 or 4 chunks, 3-4 carrots, unpeeled and chopped into 3 or 4 pieces, 2 medium onions, quartered with skin on, (this gives a richer broth), about 10-15 peppercorns, a bunch of fresh parsley, thyme and bay leaves (bouquet garni).

I cover this with cold water and simmer for a couple hours.After a couple hours you will see the most delicious, rich broth (taste it for flavoring…I sometimes add a teaspoon of chicken-better-than-bouillon that I always have on hand in my pantry and fridge.

If your soup stock is boiling from time to time….a white foam will form on the top and must be skimmed off or your broth will become cloudy.

And we save cloudy for the blue skies, not for our chicken broth. So just let it simmer slowly.

When done, remove all the vegges and chicken bones and toss the out. They have done their job, infusing the broth with their nutrients and goodness.

YEP!  Toss everything leaving you a beautiful clear broth.

If your broth does not appear as clear as you would like it, use a fine mesh strainer or a cheesecloth to strain out all the little bits and pieces from the veggies.  You might have to do it twice.  If I am making broth to store or give away, I strain twice just because I like a clear broth. The pic below is of the unstrained broth.

I store the excess broth (if any) in plastic deli containers and freeze for 2-3 months.  If storing in the fridge, about a week is tops for freshness.  

To continue with my grandma’s chicken soup recipe, I add chopped raw or cooked chicken breasts, and a mirepoix of sliced carrots, chopped celery and chopped onion.

Simmer til cooked through and there you have it. Grandma’s Home Made Chicken Soup poured over thin egg noodles.

Yummy!!!!

And when you add this home made chicken soup broth to your stuffing for your turkey…..

…..well, you just have to try it to see the difference in flavor.Recipe Card

Grandma's Chicken Soup With Noodles

2016-11-22 09:02:25

The chicken broth is poured over the egg noodles and served. Warm and hearty and just plain delicious!

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For the Broth

1. 4-5 lbs. chicken backs, wings, necks and thighs with skin, or a chicken carcass along with pieces such as wings.
2. 8-10 cups water- or enough water to cover chicken
3. *Mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery)
4. 2 onions, skins on and quartered
5. 3 carrots, unpeeled, cut into 3-4 pieces
6. 3 celery stalks, cut into 3-4 pieces
7. 3 tablespoons salt
8. 10-15 peppercorns
9. **Bouquet Garni: parsley, thyme and bay leaves tied together

For the Soup

1. 1 onion, peeled and chopped
2. 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
3. 4 celery stalks, sliced
4. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and cubed
5. 4 tablespoons of Chicken-Better-Than-Bouillon
6. fresh parsley, chopped for serving
7. 2 bags thin egg noodles or you can make home made, but I really like these for this chicken soup

For the Chicken Broth/Stock

1. Place chicken carcass, wings, backs, necks, etc in a large stock pot and cover with water. Using a very low heat, let the meat simmer while you prepare the mirepoix, salt and peppercorns. ***DO NOT BOIL. You will not have a white foam if you keep the temp on low. However, if you do develop a white foam, skim off the top as it develops. Do not cover the pot, and let simmer for about 2 hours.
2. When the chicken broth is done cooking, use a large slotted spoon to scoop out all chicken, bones and vegetables into a large bowl and toss. Do not save. You do not want any of these veggies in your clear broth and they have served their purpose in flavoring your chicken broth.
3. At this point you will need to taste your broth. If needed, add a bit of bouillon. (I use Better-than-bouillon, but you may use your choice of chicken bouillon). Taste again to be sure you have a very full bodied, chicken broth.
4. Using NEW veggies (Mirepoix) and chicken breasts, add to your chicken broth and simmer (again, DO NOT BOIL)

For the Noodles

1. While the broth is simmering, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions, drain and set aside. If your veggies in your broth are still not cooked, but still simmering, place the egg noodles in the fridge until ready to serve.

To Serve

1. Place egg noodles in the bottom of the soup bowl and ladle the chicken broth with veggies over the top!
2. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley and enjoy!

Notes

1. *A Mirepoix is used in creole cooking as well as everyday cooking....and consists of celery, carrots and onion. Really very simple for a fancy term.
2. **Bouquet Garni is also a simple ingredient consisting of various fresh herbs tied together or bundled together sometimes in cheesecloth or fine mesh bag. I usually tie the herbs together and toss in the soup or whatever I am making.
3. ***This is a very important step- it will give you a clearer soup.

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