Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade chicken noodle soup. Cold weather and sniffly noses inspire it. Grandmothers make it. Or at least my grandmothers both did. Eight years ago or so, I realized it was time I learned how to make it myself and so I called my grandmother. She explained the following method to me, which I have yet to perfect. But it's a good start!

The basic method is to use the vegetables and chicken to make the broth and then add new vegetables for the soup. The first round of vegetables turn over all their flavor to the broth and so it is necessary to add more that can retain their flavor for the soup.

Use a whole chicken. Rinse the chicken in cold water and place it in a stock pot. Cover the chicken with cold water. Add any combination of the following: celery, carrots, onions, parsnips, parsley, thyme. Any other root vegetables and fresh herbs are good too. My grandmother never roasted the vegetables first, and I haven't tried it yet, but roasted vegetables make a more intense broth. Bring the broth to a boil and then allow it to simmer over low heat for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

When the chicken looks done pull it out. You can let the broth continue to simmer with the vegetables, but you don't want the chicken to completely boil away. Allow the chicken to cool so it is comfortable to touch. Pull all the meat off the bones. Throw away the bones and the skin.

If the broth isn't to your taste yet, raise the heat and let it cook down and the flavor will intensify (you can do this for as little as 15 minutes and as long as half a day). When it is to your liking, strain the vegetables out. If the broth is too fatty looking to you, allow it to cool and you can easily skim the fat off the top.

Return the broth to the stock pot and add new vegetables (celery, carrots, parsnips) and herbs (parsley, thyme) and salt and pepper to taste. Allow these vegetables to simmer to a level of doneness you like. I like the vegetables to retain enough texture to be chewed rather than mushed in the mouth.

Meanwhile, boil water to cook your pasta or rice. You can cook the grain in the soup; however, you'll lose some broth. I prefer to cook the pasta separately and then add it to the soup. This time I used orzo, but I also like to use egg noodles.

When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, add the chicken meat (shredded or diced to sizes appealing to you) and the pasta. Allow the chicken meat to warm all the way through. Eat with fresh rolls and butter.