Ep. 5 Mother's Soup

 

Chicken Noodle Soup

"The Mother of All Soups!"

12 C chicken stock boxed broth or homemade stock (prep below)

2 sprigs of parsley, sage, rosemary (herb bouquet)

3 C chicken, shredded  (meat from approximately 1 roasted chicken)

3  C turnips, cubed small  (save tops for stock)

3 C rainbow carrots, thinly sliced (save peels for stock)

3 C of celery, chopped (save tops & bottom for stock)

2 C of white wine (or to taste)

1 TBS kosher salt, (or to taste)

12 oz. alphabet noodles, or variety you like (prep below)

1 parsley bunch, chopped fine - optional garnish

3 jalapeño peppers, chopped - optional garnish (prep below)

Procedure:

Put stock in a large pot on stove, with herb bouquet. Cover and bring to a boil.

Remove herb bouquet.  Add wine (the heating process will cook off the alcohol)

Add chopped vegetables and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until tender.

(Cook jalapeño peppers and pasta while vegetables are cooking in soup).

When vegetable are tender add chicken and stir through until fully warmed.

Serve, topping with as much of the noodles, jalapeños and parsley as you like.

A fun thing to do as a “soup bar” in families where people want different amounts of things. Leftover soup can be refrigerated (or frozen) for later, since the noodles are added later!

Chicken Stock from scratch prep:

16 cups water

2  whole chicken carcasses, meat removed (preferably already cooked chickens)

8 carrots skins

1 yellow onion w/skin quartered

5 cloves garlic, w/skin whole or smashed

1 celery bunch (tops & bottoms only -  use celery in soup)

Put all ingredients in a big pot on stove.  Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 4 hours. Skim fat off top. Cooling the whole pot overnight in the fridge makes this step easier. Pour pot contents through a strainer and mush out all remaining stock.

Toss away remains.

That's your chicken soup base! You can use it right away, refrigerate it for beneficial nutrition as a cup of broth or it can be frozen for future use.
 

Alphabet Noodle prep:

12 oz  alphabet noodles

1 gallon water

1 TBS olive oil

Bring water to a boil. Add pasta and boil for a few minutes – undercook it.
Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, and toss with olive oil to keep it from sticking to itself. Set aside.

Add to soup as you serve it. This way each person can decide how much of the noodles they want and the pasta won't be a mushy mess in the bowl. Best way to serve it for leftovers, too.

Jalapeno Peppers prep :

3 jalapeño peppers

Heat up skillet on stove. Cast Iron works best. When the peppers start popping turn them and brown them on a couple sides. When they are soft(ish) remove from heat. Cut of tops, remove seeds and discard.

Slice the peppers themselves as thin as you like and add as a garnish to your soup for kick and healthy beneficial heat.