Herbed Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is right up there with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and chocolate in the comfort food lineup. There's just something soothing about a warm bowl of soup. Who can resist protein-filled broth infused with herbs, soft noodles, delicate veggies, and tender chicken? I certainly cannot...
Start by heating your oven to 375 degrees F. In a large soup pot, heat 1T butter, uniformly chop 4 large celery stalks, 4 large carrots, and 2 large yellow onions; add this mirepoix (meer-pwah) to the pot, and sauté until all the veggies are soft. While the vegetables are cooking, combine 1/2 stick room temperature butter with 1T chopped fresh sage, 1T chopped fresh thyme, and 1T chopped fresh rosemary in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper to the butter. Place your whole chicken in a large dutch oven or cast-iron pot. Now take the herb butter and use your hands to rub it under the skin of the chicken, making sure to coat the breasts as well as the legs. Rub any remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. Quarter an additional yellow onion, cut 2 more carrots into thirds, and stuff them into the cavity of the chicken; leave any onion or carrot pieces that won't fit inside the bird in the pot. Then fill the pot halfway up the chicken with a dry red wine. I used cabernet sauvignon. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken at the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F.
Once your mirepoix has finished cooking, add 2 quarts of low-sodium chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add 2T each of chopped fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (hello Simon & Garfunkel) to the broth. (TayTip: to infuse your broth with another layer of flavor, finely chop and add the celery leaves from your stalks. They really drive home the tangy flavor of the celery.) Once your broth is boiling, add 3/4 of a large bag of egg noodles; one whole bag if you like your soup extra noodle-y. Add 2 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1T of cracked black pepper. Cook until the noodles are al dente, then reduce the heat to warm. When your chicken has finished roasting, remove it from the dutch oven, and place it on a cutting board to cool for 15 minutes so that you won't burn your fingers when chopping it. Pour the cooking liquid from the chicken into the broth with the noodles. When your chicken has cooled, remove the breast and leg meat, dice into whatever size you like, and add to the soup.
SIDE NOTE: This is also the exact same base for chicken and dumplings. Instead of adding egg noodles to the boiling broth, mix 2 cups flour, 1T baking powder, 1tsp salt, and 1tsp pepper with 1 1/2 cups water until you have a batter. It should be thicker than pancake batter, but thinner than biscuits; add water or flour respectively depending on whether the batter is too thick or thin. (TayTip: this is basically Bisquick minus the shortening. Use your favorite flour--all purpose, wheat, buckwheat, spelt, semolina--and quadruple the recipe without water. Keep it in an airtight container and use as the base for pancakes, dumplings, biscuits, waffles, etc. Homemade Bisquick at hand and much cheaper!) Take a large spoon and drop the dumplings right into the boiling broth so they form a layer on the top. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until your dumplings are cooked all the way through, but not dried out.
The fresh herbs really are the stars of this soup. They add a flavor complexity that nothing else can. The combination of sage, rosemary, and thyme with parsley is that signature smell of savory Fall cooking. It instantly takes me back to Thanksgivings or Christmases growing up. Hearty, warm, scrumptious, and just what you need to say 'hello' to Fall. If you even have any leftover, you can pop it in a container and freeze for an entire season. Perfect for tailgates, if you're sick, rainy days inside, or anytime! Forget your soul, this chicken noodle soup is for your stomach. Buon appetito!
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