Chicken Noodle Soup
shared by Cris Watson
Makes about 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups cooked chicken, pulled apart or cubed (leftover baked or rotisserie chicken works great)
2 ½ cups broth from the cooked chicken (use water to make up the amount needed)
1 to 2 cubes of Chicken Bouillon *
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery cut into bite-size-pieces
½ to 3/4 bag of egg noodles (medium or wide, whichever you prefer)
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning OR McCormick's Montreal Chicken Seasoning *
1/4 cup cornstarch for thickener OR make roux as directed below
For thickener, you can use a mixture of cornstarch dissolved in COLD water, or make a roux with butter and flour (see instructions for roux below)
* If using the broth from the cooked chicken or the rotisserie chicken, add everything and let it simmer together a few minutes and taste it. If you don't have the rich chicken flavor you want, you can add some of the seasoning or bouillon to suit your taste.
NOTE: add salt carefully as the bouillon and seasoning mixtures are already salty!
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook noodles as the package directs, drain, and set aside.(NOTE: you can put the uncooked noodles in the soup when you add the chicken; the noodles will absorb the liquid so you will need to add about 3/4 to 1 cup more water.)
2. Put just the water in a large pot and bring it to a boil.
3. Add the seasoning and bouillon.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, onions, and celery. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes just until the carrots start to get tender.
5. Add the cooked chicken to the soup.
6. While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the thickener.
7. When the vegetables are just tender, slowly stir in the thickener. Whisk the thickener into boiling liquid a little bit at a time until you reach desired consistency.
8. Cook over low heat for about 7 to 10 minutes to allow the thickener to thicken the broth.
9. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little more water to get the constancy you want.
10. If you did not cook the noodles in the broth with the vegetables, add the cooked noodles to the soup when ready to serve.
This soup can be made ahead of time, cooled and put in the refrigerator. It will thicken some when it cools.
To make the roux for thickening: A roux contains equal amounts of flour and fat (instead of being made with flour and liquid). A roux is generally browned or cooked and then the liquid is added to the roux to thicken it (as opposed to the other way around with a slurry)
