Kelly's TLC Chicken Noodle Soup

Submitted by Wildflour

"Sometimes, there's just nothin better than a big ol' pot of homemade chicken noodle soup!! Here's how I make it! Happy to share it, and hope you enjoy it as much as we do! :)"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Yields: 4 quarts
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 1 large whole chickens or 4 chicken breasts, but see cooking time
• 2 bay leaves
• water, to cover chicken
• 2 (793.78 g) can chicken broth or 907.18 g box chicken broth, works just fine
• 1182.95-1419.54 ml chicken stock, the water you stewed the chicken in
• 78.78 ml chicken base, see note at bottom
• 0.61 ml fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 0.61 ml garlic powder
• 0.61 ml dried thyme, crushed with your fingers
• 2.46 ml dried parsley flakes, more if desired or 14.79 ml fresh parsley
• 453.59 g bag baby carrots, sliced thickly
• 1 large onion, chopped chunky
• 3 large celery ribs, sliced thickly
• 226.79 g jar sliced mixed mushrooms, drained or 226.79 g fresh mushrooms
• 14.79 ml butter
• 170.09 g egg noodles, half of a 12 oz. bag
• saltine crackers, if desired

directions

1. Rinse chicken with cold water inside and out, and be sure to remove any "innards". (I discard the innards, but if you like them, save them for another use.).
2. Place whole chicken in large pot. Add water to cover the bird plus an inch.
3. Add bay leaves.
4. Bring to a boil, skim off the "foamy stuff" with a large spoon, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about an hour and 30 minutes.
5. You may need to CAREFULLY turn your chicken over halfway through if it wants to stick up a bit.
6. CAREFULLY remove chicken from pot onto a platter, cover loosely with foil til cool enough to handle. *Remember there will be very hot water inside the cavity of the chicken. So please do this carefully, dumping that out into the pot as you remove it, so you don't burn yourself! *Also give the pot a stir. The chicken will be VERY tender when done, and a wing or leg may fall to the bottom. Be sure to get that!
7. Remove 5 cups stock from pot into heat-proof pitcher or pan. Save rest of chicken stock for another use.
8. Pour the 5 cups stock back into the pot.
9. While chicken is cooling, add rest of ingredients EXCEPT noodles.
10. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a nice simmer and cook veggies about 4-5 minutes.
11. Now add the noodles. Stir.
12. Return to a boil to get it going again, then reduce to a nice simmer and continue to simmer til noodles are just about tender. About another 4-5 minutes.
13. While veggies and noodles are simmering away, remove meat from chicken and add as you go. (Don't add the skin or fat, of course, just the meat.).
14. Now just continue to simmer, another 2-3 minutes til noodles are tender. Take one out and try it is the only way to know! :).
15. *Also, don't stir this very much! You'll just break up the noodles.
16. *If using 4 chicken breasts instead, bring chicken breasts to a boil in pot, reduce to simmer, and simmer only 20 minutes.
17. Serve with saltine crackers if desired.
18. Makes about 3-4 quarts. But don't worry. Sounds like a lot, but the 2 of us go through this easily within only 3 days!
19. *Note: I use "Superior Touch Better Than Boullion Chicken Base". And it is really good!But any good quality chicken base will work well. *It comes in a jar next to the boullion. ;).
20. And one last thing (I promise!), if you need to add more of the broth that you stewed the chicken in, (if your chicken is large, or you added too many noodles, etc.) just nuke 1-2 cups broth with 1-2 teaspoons of the boullion/chicken base til dissolved, then add to pot. Simmer just a few minutes longer. HTH! :D.

Reviews

[muffinlady]

Because of dietary restrictions I had to change recipe. I used Chicken base and Water to equal amount of broth and stock. I doubled garlic powder, Thyme, mushrooms and since I like lots of broth I used 2 ounces less egg noodles. I added some of the cut up chicken. An excellent soup I will be making again. I wish I could give it 4 1/2 stars as in my new rating system 5 is saved for exceptional I really want to eat lot more all at once. Be sure and use the Superior Touch chicken base it is far superior to bouillon.

 

[FrenchBunny]

This soup was excellent. I had added fresh mushrooms instead of canned. I simmered the veggies a little longer than just 5 minutes just to have softer carrots. I used the Superior Touch chicken base too. I find it makes for a great flavor. This makes for a lot of soup which I froze for my lunches. And I had about 7 cups of broth leftover that I froze as well to use later on for another recipe. Thanks for your great recipe Wildflour. We will be enjoying this soup very much.

 

[AaliyahsAaronsMum]

Wonderful soup! And keeps up to the name: TLC! DH was down with a throat infection and fever and he is NOT a soup person but he was very grateful this soup came to his rescue! Ohh I wasn't too sure what chicken base was so used chicken bouillon cubes instead and added in fresh mushrooms. And I cooked the veggies a bit longer so DH would find it easier to swallow but other than that did not change a thing. Even my fussy DD enjoyed it! Thank you, Wildflour, for sharing your wonderful recipe! Definitely will be making it again... and hopefully nobody will be ill then to enjoy it better!