Monday, October 13, 2014

Simple, classic chicken soup

It's a month into a new school year, and it's about that time when your kid starts bringing home illnesses along with forms to sign and artwork. Our own D is sick at the moment, with an ongoing cough and runny nose, and, as of last night, an ear infection. So it's also about time for a simple, homemade soup with (hopefully) some healing properties, if only because the secret ingredient is love. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure I've never made chicken noodle soup from scratch before. Growing up, we loved the kind that came in a packet, including those cup-a-soups. For awhile, my parents would make it from the mix, but add in carrots, potatoes and other veggies. I remember having an amazing chicken soup at my dear friend Lindsay's house when I was in early labour with M, and it was made by her grandma. So this soup is a mash-up of what I recall from childhood, and three years ago. It is a low-prep, delicious, and the quickest homemade soup I've ever made.

2 Becel containers' worth (I think this works out to roughly 10 cups) of homemade chicken stock (as in, throw your leftover chicken bones and/or vegetable peelings into a crockpot filled with water, and let it simmer for 24 hours/ I freeze mine in huge Becel containers, hence the unusual measurement); or water, if you must
10 packets chicken bouillon
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 cup chopped leftover chicken (I suppose you could poach a chicken breast and/or thigh if you don't have leftovers)
2 cups egg noodles

Put everything except the noodles into the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat; let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, then add the noodles and cook for another few minutes, until the noodles are cooked to your liking. Serve with bread and cheese planks, if you like that sort of thing (and I certainly do!).


Delicious soup

Some people who ate the soup (one, by proxy)