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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for Comfort Food Thursday #FBS4Sandy

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Comfort food can encompass so many different varieties of foods depending on your culture or ethnicity. Meatloaf, pasta, mac and cheese all delicious and oh so comforting. This soup takes me back to my childhood and was the starter for almost every meal we had with my Italian family. Homemade chicken soup with pasta and escarole. It’s warm and comforting and delicious. I like to grate a little pecorino romano cheese on top and for me it’s heaven. If I have time I like to make the pasta for this soup but it’s perfectly fine with commercially prepared pasta of whatever size and shape you like. Making the chicken stock is so easy, basically throwing everything in a pot and let it cook for hours. The pasta takes a little work but is so worth it in the end.

Chicken Stock:

1 whole chicken, organic if possible

1 whole onion peeled and cut in half

2 stalks celery cut in half

2 cloves garlic

2 big carrots cut into big chunks

handful of cleaned parsley and whatever herbs you like to add

enough water to cover the chicken

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups torn or chopped well cleaned escarole

noodles or whatever type of pasta you like to add to the soup. About 2 1/2 cups cooked pasta

Add everything except the escarole and noodles to stock pot and boil for 2-3 hours on med/high heat or lower heat if you want to cook all day. When done remove chicken and vegetables from pot, add the escarole and cook for 20 minutes. In separate pot boil your noodles and add to chicken soup when they are done, Cut the carrots on the diagonal and add back to soup, You can serve with some of the boiled chicken in the bowl and I like to grate some romano cheese on top.

Pasta:
2 1/2 cups AP flour
4 large eggs
1 tbs water
2 tsp olive oil
On work surface dump flour and make a well in the middle, add the eggs, water and olive oil and beat with a fork, working in a circle incorporate the flour until you have a cohesive dough, add more flour if your dough is too sticky. Knead until dough is smooth, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
Or by food processor (which I did)  place flour in bowl then add the eggs, oil and water and pulse until it comes together into a ball. Turn onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
If rolling by hand roll dough with rolling pin as thin as you can, the dough should be almost translucent. Fold and cut into thin strips like linguine. If using a pasta machine follow manufacturers directions. NOTE: You will only need half of the pasta for this, wrap the other half of the dough well and freeze for later use).
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, when water is boiling add salt (the water should be salty like sea water) Add the pasta stirring to make sure each piece is separated and cook for 2 minutes.
36 Comments Post a comment
  1. Just the right type of food for colder weather!

    November 8, 2012
  2. Funny we both posted pasta and comfort food today…it must be that time of year 🙂 I am making chicken noodle soup tonight and I do make homemade noodles for that. The spaghetti noodles just intimidate me without a machine. I would be in the kitchen for 24 hours making those! Soup noodles can be cut with my pizza cutter. Your soup does look delicious! Stay warm my friend.

    November 8, 2012
    • Thanks yes honestly defining comfort food is so broad, but noodles or pasta is on my mind when I think of a food that fills and warms and comforts. I have an old hand crank pasta machine that has served me well but the blades are dulled and it’s time for a new one. The pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid has been on my wish list for a few years, I think Santa may bring me one this year.

      November 8, 2012
  3. Exactly perfect to cure what ails anyone 🙂

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    November 8, 2012
    • It sure is, my pug Izzy is sick and thats what she is getting. Full of good stuff. Thank you so much!

      November 8, 2012
  4. Perfect for this weather!

    November 8, 2012
  5. The weather has turned a little chilly these days and I would love a huge bowl of this noodles soup! Such a yummy comfort food!

    November 8, 2012
    • Thanks Jasline, it is perfect on a chilly day. Congrats on the new site, can’t wait to see your next posting,

      November 8, 2012
  6. petit4chocolatier #

    I love a good chicken soup and this definitely sounds and looks like one. I love that you allow the carrots to be large chunks. Makes such a difference in soup. Kudos for the homemade pasta! Delicious comfort food : )

    I hope you don’t mind if I reblog your link on my reblog page?

    November 8, 2012
  7. Thank you, I like all the veggies in large chunks, I agree it does make a difference.
    Of course you can re blog, I am honored that you would do that. Thank you.

    November 8, 2012
  8. Tasty looking soup!

    November 8, 2012
  9. Ali #

    That is a great looking soup…chicken noodle soup is definitely one of the most comforting.

    November 9, 2012
    • Thank you Ali, very traditional comfort food. Love it in any form!

      November 9, 2012
  10. This does sound like a bowl of comfort! I love the colors, it looks so appealing. I’ve never had escarole, I guess I need to get some! I didn’t think there was any veggie I’d not tried, but that’s new to me.

    November 9, 2012
    • Thanks Veronica, escarole is a type of lettuce believe it or not, Italians use it frequently in soups and also sauteed with garlic. It is slightly bitter kind of like an endive.

      November 9, 2012
  11. All I have to say is: where’s my spoon?

    November 9, 2012
  12. Delicious! I grew up eating this type of soup…my mom always made the best chicken soup ever!! I’m vegan now but honestly, I wouldn’t turn down her chicken soup again..yours looks fabulous!!

    November 9, 2012
    • Thank you so much, I know it’s hard to resist chicken soup there is something so comforting about it, it really brings back memories for me.

      November 9, 2012
  13. Chicken noodle soup is just the best comfort food of anything. Anytime I’m sick or have had an unbelievably bad day, this is all I want. Wonderful comfort food to share 🙂

    November 9, 2012
    • Thank you, it’s so true, when I am sick especially if I have a cold, all I want is chicken soup, and orange juice too. I remember two things I always got when I was a kid, chicken soup for a cold and when I had a stomach virus toast and sweet tea. Those always bring back memories for me.

      November 9, 2012
  14. Great post – thanks.

    November 10, 2012
  15. I love comfort foods. Not just my own but other people’s too. Chicken noodle soup always comforts and lifts me up. Love your recipe:)

    November 10, 2012
    • Thanks so much, me too. I just saw your blog for the first time today, it’s fantastic.

      November 10, 2012
  16. LOVE this and would also like to reblog with your permission, please…

    November 12, 2012
  17. Reblogged this on a taste of wintergreen and commented:
    Add your thoughts here… (optional)

    November 14, 2012
  18. m&m #

    I also made chicken soup during the hurricane, although mine was a favorite thai variety….glad to hear you made it through the storm ok!

    November 15, 2012
    • It really was conducive to chicken soup for sure, I love Thai flavors I bet that soup was delicious! thanks so much!!

      November 15, 2012
  19. Thank you!

    November 15, 2012
  20. Pleasure!!!

    November 15, 2012

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  1. de-constructed chicken noodle soup – hungry for home « a taste of wintergreen

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