Beth's Chicken Noodle Soup

This is another recipe of mine that is really not a recipe at all.  I play around with it every time I make it, and I would encourage you to do the same.  Let's face it:  there is nothing more comforting on a cold day than homemade soup.  This is a little labor intensive, but make a big batch and keep some in the freezer for days you really don't feel like cooking or for when the kids get sick.  It is well worth the effort and it smells really good!  And for best results, cook the noodles separately so they don't absorb all that wonderful broth. 

Ingredients for stock:

1 large chicken, excess fat removed (and don't forget to take out the neck and nasty bits!)
1 large onion, cut in half crosswise (don't bother peeling)
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2" chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into 2" chunks
4 garlic cloves, smashed (don't worry about the skin)
4 whole cloves
A 3" section of ginger, cut into 1/4" slices (don't bother peeling)
5 sprigs of parsley
(Optional:  I sometimes get a jalapeno, cut it in half lengthwise and toss that in, too).

1.  Rinse the chicken with cold water and put it into a pot large enough to hold it comfortably and fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken.  Very slowly, bring the water to a simmer (uncovered) and skim the foam that rises to the surface. 

2.  Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet or grill pan (or grill for that matter), you want to burn the cut side of the onion.  This sounds odd, but it adds a ton of flavor in the end. 

3.  Throw the onion and the remaining ingredients into the pot with the chicken, continuing to skim the foam.  Maintain a gentle simmer and do not stir.  The foam is the impurities rising to the surface (blood and fat), which you want to get rid of in order to end up with a nice, clean, clear chicken stock. 

4.  After about 30 minutes, the chicken should be pretty much cooked.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cool, pick the meat off the bones and set aside.  Depending on my mood, I sometimes dice the chicken into little chunks or I shred it.  Makes no difference.  Set aside and refrigerate.

5.  Return bones to pot and bring back to a slow simmer.  Cook for about 2 hours, uncovered, checking for foam and skimming as needed periodically.

6.  Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or through a colander lined with a few layers of cheesecloth, discarding the solids.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator.  Any remaining fat will solidify on the surface and you can just pick it off.

Ingredients for finished soup:

Finished chicken stock (you'll have about 2 quarts at least)
2 large carrots, peeled and small diced (1/4" cubes)
2 celery stalks, small diced
1 small onion, small diced
1 Tbs minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
Reserved chicken meat (diced or shredded)
Juice from 1-2 lemons, to taste
Salt & pepper, to taste
Cooked egg noodles (desired amount, cooked according to package instructions)
2 Tbs minced parsley

1.  Place chicken stock in a large pot with the rest of the veggies and the thyme.  Bring to a boil until the veggies are tender.  Add reserved chicken meat.

2.  Turn off heat.  Add juice of 1 lemon and season with salt and pepper.  Depending on the tartness of the lemon, you may want to add more.

3.  To serve, place desired amount of cooked egg noodles in a bowl and ladle soup over the noodles.  Garnish with parsley.

NOTES:  If freezing, stop at step 2 and portion into containers.  Reheat and continue to step 3 before serving. 

Also, a few splashes of Tabasco or Sriracha are great if you like a little spice in your life!

If you have any mushroom trimmings hanging around, you can throw those in too.  Leeks are a nice addition as well.  Rosemary would probably be good in the stock part of the process ... Or tomato, or tomato paste.  Instead of lemon, you could use lime and swap out the parsley for cilantro.  Chipotle would be great in there, too!  Again.  This is not really a recipe; it's a guide line.  Feel free to tinker with it!