Chicken Soup with Homemade Noodles– Great Choice for a Snowy Day.

There is nothing better in the winter than homemade chicken noodle soup and bread fresh from the oven.  When my son was about 10, he made this soup for 4-H Foods Review and won a Special Merit ribbon.  The judge was so impressed that he could make the noodles from scratch, little did she know it is super easy! Let’s start with the soup base.

Soup Broth

You have options on the soup broth.  Depending on the amount of time you have to devote to the process you can make your own chicken broth, buy commercial broth, or use commercial base. For this soup I used 3 pieces of frozen chicken that I poached in water, which made a light broth. I added some turkey stock that I made after Thanksgiving with the turkey carcass that I boiled for five or six hours. This makes a very flavorful soup that just needs a little seasoning. Sometimes when I do not have the extra turkey stock, I add some chicken soup base that comes in a jar to my light broth. I like the Better Than Bouillon brand best. If you are in a hurry, then the can or box broths will also work.

After poaching the chicken for an hour shred it with a fork.  This is also a great way to use chicken or turkey leftovers. The amount of chicken you add can vary. This time I had three pieces of chicken, which is more than I usually use, but some might like more meat in their soup. The great thing with most of the ingredients is that you can use what you have, in the quantities you like. I have even made it without meat, as long as you have the broth it still tastes great. Add the shredded chicken to the broth in a soup pot on medium heat.

Shred Chicken With a Fork Into Bite Size Pieces

Veggies

I don’t usually measure any of the ingredients when I make this, but will try to give a general idea of measures. This is a way to clean out the refrigerator if you have bits and pieces of things that can be added.  You can change the variety and amount of vegetables based on what you have available.

I used: carrots, potatoes, onions, beans, peas, and corn. I would also have added 1/4 – 1/2 cup of celery but did not have any at this time.

1. 3 carrots scrapped and chopped

2. 1 onion diced

3. 2 large potatoes peeled and chopped

4. 1 cup frozen peas

5. 1 cup frozen corn

6. 1 1/2 cup frozen green beans

Add the veggies to the broth. For seasoning I add dried basil and parsley from my garden. You could also add fresh if you have it. With the dried seasonings I add about 1 1/2 Tablespoons that I crumble. I also LOVE black pepper and could not live without my pepper grinder, season to your taste. If you use commercial broth or base you may not need to add salt–salt to taste.  Simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Chop Vegetables and Add to Broth 

The Special Ingredient Homemade Noodles

1. 1 cup unbleached white flour

2. 1 egg

3. 2 Tablespoons milk

Yep, that is it. In a bowl beat the egg and milk together. Add flour gradually until it forms a stiff dough. It will be a little sticky, but should be workable. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Noodle Dough Taking a Break

Once the dough is well rested it is time to roll it out. The surface should be floured so that the noodles do not stick. As they are rolled out flip the dough over to make sure it is not sticking, add more flour as needed. It should be rolled to about a 13×13 size-shape is not important, but somewhat square makes the noodles more uniform to cut. Having said that, mine is usually more of a circle and I suspect it tastes the same either way.

Noodles Rolled Out and Ready to Cut

There are fancy noodle cutters, in fact I have one, but it is NOT necessary. Rather than creating more work in clean up I just use a pizza cutter and cut the noodles into bite size pieces. They could also be cut into strips.

Bite Sized Noodles

As long as the surface is well floured the noodles slide right off.  I use a spatula to lift them several at a time into the bubbling soup.

They cook very quickly and are done within a couple of minutes. The little bit of extra flour that makes its way in with the noodles thickens the soup just a bit and gives it a heartier texture.

Allow the soup to cool a little before serving.

Best served with homemade fresh bread, butter and your choice of jelly.

Chicken Noodle Soup, Fresh Bread and Wild Grape Jelly

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