Famous Homemade Chicken Soup With Meatballs - Italian Style

Submitted by The Miserable Gourm

"This is my favorite comfort food. I add fresh tortellini, but egg noodles are just fine!"

 

• Ready In: 4hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 10

ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 large onion
• 1 lb carrot, cleaned
• 4 celery ribs, cleaned
• 2 knorr's chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 knorr's vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 8 -12 cups water
• 1 lb cooked egg noodles
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• Meatballs

• 1 lb meatloaf mix (ground pork beef veal)
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (white or wheat)
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg

directions

1. Rinse chicken and clean vegetables.
2. Cut the tops off the carrots and remove onion skin but keep whole.
3. Place chicken, vegetables, bullion, tomato sauce and enough water to cover in a large stock pot, covered, over high heat until it boils.
4. Reduce heat and tilt lid to let soup simmer about 4 hours.
5. Strain fat from top of broth.
6. Carefully remove vegetables into a bowl to let cool.
7. Carefully remove chicken, it's HOT! and let rest while you strain the broth through a metal strainer into a smaller pot.
8. Mix all meatball ingredients together in a large bowl, being careful not to over-mix. In a large saucepan, add two or three generous ladles of chicken soup broth.
9. Form small meatballs and cook in soup broth simmering until cooked, about 10 minutes. Add to strained broth.
10. While meatballs are cooking, slice carrots and celery, and shred or slice chicken and add to strained broth.
11. Now, I put some noodles into the bowl and add a ladle of soup on top and top it with grated cheese. (We're Italian. Cheese goes on everything.).
12. I do not add the noodles to the soup directly because they tend to soak up all the broth , which make it difficult to eat as leftovers. This recipe makes enough for two nights for my family of 5. I freeze half for another time.