Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This homemade soup reminds me of my Mom!  I was raised on home cooked meals, and she would always make a big pot of soup that would last a few days.  I've added a few things to her original recipe but it's still basically the same.  I love to make my own stock with this recipe and you don't have to use the boxed chicken stock from the store.  

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 1 12 oz bag of egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• Seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Saltine crackers



The Stock



Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

Tip: use a colander and a large bowl and simply pour your broth into it and it will strain all of the onions and bay leaves out. Then just pour your broth back into your pot 

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, parsley,and rosemary. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper.

Here's your bowl of warm slippers, comfy pants, and your grandmas cozy quilt!

I like to use crackers with my soup and crumble them in it.  But if you'd like you can also get some crusty French Bread.