Chicken Noodle Soup

I can't believe I haven't posted about chicken noodle soup before, especially since it is one of our staples.  As mentioned (I think repeatedly), we more often than not have roasted chicken on Sunday evenings.  Due to the holiday weekend, yesterday was our roast chicken day and we made two so Big J could take one to his apartment this week.  So instead of using the usual 10-inch cast iron pan I used a roasting pan with a rack and chopped up some carrots, celery, and onion to put in the bottom of the pan so they would roast in the drippings.  I also added a bit of water so they wouldn't burn in the 425° oven for an hour.

After the chicken was done and the meat removed, I put the carcasses back in the roasting pan (without the rack) and roasted everything at 400° for another hour.  Then I dumped everything into a stock pot, added enough water to cover, put on the lid and put it back in the oven at 180° overnight.  In the morning I strained out the bones and veggies and was left with a rich stock.  Yum!  As with all soups, a good stock is essential; while you can certainly make this soup with store bought stock, you will see, and taste, a vast difference if you make your own.

I refrigerated the stock to let any fat rise to the top to be scooped away before using it for the soup.  Here's the soup recipe -- perfect for an evening when the remnants of a tropical storm have parked over your town!

That Girl's Chicken Noodle Soup

3 quarts chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
6 oz. wide egg noodles
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1/3 cup sherry
2/3 cup cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring chick stock to boil in a large pan.  Add chicken breasts and poach until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

While chicken is poaching, heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add carrots and celery and saute until just beginning to soften.

Remove chicken from broth and set aside.  Add carrots and celery to the broth.  Simmer for five minutes.

Add noodles to the broth and vegetables and cook until according to package directions.

While the noodles are cooking, shred or chop the chicken breasts.

When the noodles are done, add the sherry, chicken, rosemary and cream (if using).  Stir and allow to warm (about 2 minutes).

Serve with a crusty bread -- this soup is perfect for dipping!

Serves 6-8