This recipe makes a really big kettle of lovely soup. It freezes well. I generally store in 2-cup containers (that’s a good portion for a single serving), but obviously, any size container works!
2 gallons chicken (or turkey) broth
Note: I usually make this the day after Thanksgiving…or whenever I serve turkey or roasted chicken. Cover the broken up carcass with water, add herbs, carrot, celery, onion, garlic etc. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer most of the day. The house will smell great. I drain it through a colander (into a large pot) to separate bones and other solids. When bones in the colander are cooler, pick the meat off them. (The dog will love the remaining carrots!) The meat will go into the soup at the end. You can make this broth using a fresh chicken, covering with water and various herbs, and cooking until meat is tender. Again, drain through a colander. Use the meat and broth in the soup, or for creamed chicken with mushrooms—or both.
Chopped celery, carrots, garlic, and onions. The amount varies, depending on how thick you want the soup to be. Half a good sized bunch of celery, a pound of carrots, 3-4 onions and a tablespoon of jarred garlic works great for starts.
Frozen green peas
Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (or use Italian seasoning)
Pepper and salt to taste (instead of salt, use chicken bouillon cubes; adds nice color and richness of flavor)
1 package egg noodles, cooked
Chicken (or turkey) meat
To the liquid, add chopped vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer until veggies are tender. Add peas. Season to taste. Add noodles. Add meat. Stir well. Adjust seasoning.
Note: If you aren’t serving this right away, let the soup cool some before adding noodles. They will continue to cook in the hot liquid. I do not cook them in the chicken broth because they release a lot of starch, which thickens the soup more than I care for. But obviously you can do that to see how you like it. If it is too thick, add more broth.
You can be creative with this recipe as well. For example, when I made it this morning, I realized I didn’t have any frozen peas. I used a quart of julienned zucchini instead (I keep garden zucchini already cut in my freezer for vegetable soups). I also added a quart of frozen green beans. Sometimes, if I don’t happen to have noodles on hand, I will add cubed potatoes along with the celery, carrots, etc. I have added tomato juice in the past if I was low on broth or wanted more liquid. Not the classic chicken noodle soup, but still yummy. And obviously, if you don’t want to make such a large amount, just cut down on the proportions.
Just a personal note. My mother, Ursula Haberland, was a wonderful cook and back in the day when she had to provide meals to all of the young farm workers that my Dad would hire, mostly from Germany, as interns, she often would make a big pot of hearty soup in the mornings for lunch. They were hungry and hard-working young men and really enjoyed her creations. Ursula was the ultimate when it came to making something delicious and nutritious using whatever she had on hand.
Full & Plenty 