Chicken Noodle Soup – My Way

Hey, what do you know? I seem to have take a week off from the blog. Oops! It was a strange week. First my computer rejected my camera’s memory card. Then I found the USB cable but by then it was Thursday and OMG did you see the finale of Project Runway? It made me sick, I tell you! Sick! And what better remedy to what ails you than chicken noodle soup?

Yep, chicken noodle soup. Nothing earth-shattering here, no exotic ingredients, no astounding new techniques. This is just how I make it and I think it is pretty darn easy. I roasted a chicken last week, so I saved the carcass which still had lots of meat on it and tossed in a stockpot with enough water to cover. Is the water supposed to be hot or cold? I don’t know. I usually go with warm. It’s going to get hot anyway. I bring it to a boil and then reduce the temperature and let it simmer partially covered.

Meanwhile, I get busy chopping up some veggies and I am not really fussy about them. This celery has probably seen better days, but that’s okay. I chopped it up anyway, including the leaves along with some carrots and onions.

I let the chicken simmer for awhile. Contrary to popular belief, you really can make a decent stock in not all that much time. You don’t need to simmer all day. Of course, if you had the time, a longer simmer might give you deeper flavor, but when the crack-smoking judges on Project Runway have just pushed you too far, with their on-trend and their you-can-sell-this and thier I-can-see-this-girl and you just can’t take it any more and you need some damn soup, an hour or so will do!

Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set them to cool on a cutting board. Dump the carrots, celery and onion into the pot and bring to a boil. Add about half a bag of egg noodles and a few tablespoons of rice, if you like.

Reduce the heat to about medium-high and consider the grilled cheese you’ll certainly want to along with the life-affirming soup. After all, nobody can force you to wear granny panties and ill-fitting dresses in depressing prints if you don’t want to!

Here’s one of my favorite combinations – marble rye, a slice of American cheese, a few sliced tomatoes, and some shredded cheddar. And I usually do put another piece of bread on top. Makes it easier to flip that way. Once you’ve got the grilled cheese a-grillin’, get back to that chicken and pluck off all the meat and toss it into the pot.

When the noodles and rice are tender, turn the heat down and consider seasonings.  I like to keep it simple – salt and pepper, maybe a little garlic powder and celery salt.  And, if I have it on hand, fresh parsley and lots of it.  It really lends a nice herbacious flavor to whole pot of soup

When your grilled cheese is golden brown on both sides and soft and melty on the inside, it’s time to eat.

Simple, delicious soup – so easy and so sane, in a world where insanity lurks around the corner, a world where dark green pleather mixed with Little House on the Prairie calico wins fashion design competition. You’re welcome.