Best Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients :
You will need : Two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, one medium onion, (chopped), 3 garlic cloves (minced), two medium carrots cut into ½ -inch-thick slices, 2 celery ribs halved logway and cut into ½ -inch-thick slices, four fresh thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 2 quarts chicken stock : recipe follows bellow, 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles, 1 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken, Kosher salt and ground black pepper, and lastly one handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Chicken Stock:
One whole free-range chicken (about 3 ½ pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded ; Two carrots, cut in large chunks ; 3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks; 2 large white onions, quartered; One head of garlic, halved; one turnip, halved; ¼ bunch fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; one teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
Carefully remove the chicken When its cool enough, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.
Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids.