Last Pot of Hot Soup, Maybe…. Chicken Noodle Soup
Crocus in bloom
During the cold winter months I sometimes make a pot of soup a week, this winter my thoughts were turning to gazpacho because the it’s been unusually warm. I walk outside and see bulbs have already bloomed, actually I saw the beginnings at the end of January and now we have full blooms. I really haven’t followed tradition, my own, and made soup. I’ve barely had hot chocolate or hot toddy’s. So I decided to make soup today, with temperatures in the low to mid 40’s and the weather forecast in the high 50’s low 60’s the rest of the week, I thought I better do it now or else I might just retire my soup pot. I made chicken soup with escarole and noodles. The noodles are homemade from dough left over from last weeks Italian offerings, made some stock with chicken, onions, celery, carrots, garlic and herbs (parsley). I will probably freeze what’s left after enjoying a bowl, you never know, next week we may get snow.
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.
apuginthekitchen 