For those moments when Rach needs a healthy, comforting meal, she's all about chicken soup—this version has egg noodles and crunchy chicken chips on top.
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
- 1 onion, halved
- ½ leek, cut lengthwise
- A few slices of lemon
- 1 bulb garlic, halved horizontally
- 2 large fresh bay leaves
- ½ bunch parsley, parsley stems or parsley root tops
- Small bundle of sage and thyme, combined
- About 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- One 3½- to 4-pound chicken
- Salt (season the chicken itself generously)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large carrots or 6 orange and/or yellow small/baby carrots, peeled, cut into planks, then matchsticks
- 1 parsnip, cut into planks, then matchsticks (optional)
- 1 parsley root, cut into planks, then matchsticks (optional)
- ½ leek, cut lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
- 3 celery, halved lengthwise, then very thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 onion, chopped
- Salt and fine black pepper or white pepper
- One 12-ounce package large egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons butter and/or olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- About ¾ cup mixed chopped herbs, such as loosely packed dill, parsley and chives or tarragon and dill
- Store-bought chicken snack chips or chicken skin chips, to garnish (optional)
Yield
Preparation
For the poached chicken, fill a pot with all the ingredients, add 4 quarts or so of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Cool chicken for 1 hour in the pot. Remove chicken to a dish and cool to handle, then strain stock.
Remove skin and bones and pull or chop chicken meat into small pieces.
For the soup, bring a pot of water to a boil for noodles.
Heat another large pot with oil, 2 turns of the pan, add carrots (and parsnip and parsley root, if using), leek, celery and onion, season with salt and fine black pepper or white pepper, and soften vegetables 6 to 7 minutes. Add about 2½ to 3 quarts stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat a bit and add chicken.
Season the boiling water with salt, cook noodles 1 minute less than directions (about 5 minutes), drain, then toss with butter and/or oil. Store noodles separate from the soup until ready to serve to avoid overcooking them.
Finish soup with lemon juice and herbs.
Place noodles in a bowl and top with ladles of hot soup. Top soup with chicken chips and serve.
