Soups

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot, place chicken pieces with bay leaves, garlic cloves, and dried thyme. Add 5 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Remove and discard any foam that rises to the top with a large spoon. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook partially covered for 1 1/2 hours.
2. Remove chicken pieces from broth. When cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones and set aside. Discard bones. Keep meat covered while making the soup. Strain the broth with a sieve lined with cheesecloth, or with a large paper towel.
3. Add 2 TB olive oil to the empty pot and sauté celery, carrots, and onion for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add chicken broth back to pot and season to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add shredded chicken and egg noodles and continue simmering until noodles are cooked through, about 12 to 18 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in fresh parsley and serve.

Cooking Tips

1. Turkey Tip: This recipe also works great with leftover turkey.
2. Leftover Tip: If you make a big pot of soup, too much for your family, add everything in EXCEPT the noodles. Take out and store or freeze the amount you won't be using immediately and store without noodles. You can then add in the noodles when you reheat the soup, adding additional broth as needed.