There is nothing more satisfying on a frosty November day than a big bowl of steaming, savoury soup, and what a fantastic way to use up the last of the fall vegetables as you clean up the garden plot for winter. Cooking should be a culinary adventure, so don't get too hung up on following recipes exactly, or you may miss out on creating a new favourite taste sensation!
Many of the soups I create are the result of a single batch of soup stock taken in several different directions, for instance, a single pot of chicken stock can be made into Classic Chicken Noodle, Savoury Chicken Broccoli, Curried Mango Chicken, and Spicy Taco Chicken. Of course there are as many other variations, but it gives you an idea of just how diverse meals can be! Imagine what a delight it would be to serve your family something different every single night of the year!
There really isn't a more universally loved soup than Classic Chicken Noodle,and it is just so simple to make! The secret of course is in a good, hearty home made chicken stock. Here's my recipe, and made even better because the chicken parts I used to make the stock were obtained at no cost. Nothing tastes better than free!
Chicken Stock
Place chicken backs, necks or other available parts, (hearts, livers and gizzards can be added if you don't use them for other recipes) in a large stock pot. Cover with cold water, add one large onion, quartered, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 hrs or longer if you have time. I usually take the amount of stock I need to make a pot of soup and leave the rest simmering for a few more hours. You can add more water, but try not to add too much as it makes the broth weak and less flavourful. I don't add vegetables or a lot of spices to the stock pot, they just make it more difficult to separate the meat from the bones later.
Chill the stock overnight, skim off the excess fat which will solidify in a layer on top of the broth, then pour into a colander to separate the broth from the meat and bones. I pick the meat from the bones and return it to the broth, then either put the softened bones through the blender for dog/cat food, or add them to the scrap bucket for the pigs. Not much gets wasted here.
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
4-6 c chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
250 g egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste
Place stock and vegetables in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then stir in noodles, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Many of the soups I create are the result of a single batch of soup stock taken in several different directions, for instance, a single pot of chicken stock can be made into Classic Chicken Noodle, Savoury Chicken Broccoli, Curried Mango Chicken, and Spicy Taco Chicken. Of course there are as many other variations, but it gives you an idea of just how diverse meals can be! Imagine what a delight it would be to serve your family something different every single night of the year!
There really isn't a more universally loved soup than Classic Chicken Noodle,and it is just so simple to make! The secret of course is in a good, hearty home made chicken stock. Here's my recipe, and made even better because the chicken parts I used to make the stock were obtained at no cost. Nothing tastes better than free!
Chicken Stock
Place chicken backs, necks or other available parts, (hearts, livers and gizzards can be added if you don't use them for other recipes) in a large stock pot. Cover with cold water, add one large onion, quartered, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 hrs or longer if you have time. I usually take the amount of stock I need to make a pot of soup and leave the rest simmering for a few more hours. You can add more water, but try not to add too much as it makes the broth weak and less flavourful. I don't add vegetables or a lot of spices to the stock pot, they just make it more difficult to separate the meat from the bones later.
Chill the stock overnight, skim off the excess fat which will solidify in a layer on top of the broth, then pour into a colander to separate the broth from the meat and bones. I pick the meat from the bones and return it to the broth, then either put the softened bones through the blender for dog/cat food, or add them to the scrap bucket for the pigs. Not much gets wasted here.
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
4-6 c chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
250 g egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste
Place stock and vegetables in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then stir in noodles, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
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