Chicken Soup
Serves 6 to 8.
Note: Parmesan crisps are made by forming small mounds of shredded Parmesan cheese on a silicone or parchment-coveredbaking sheet; the mounds are patted down and baked for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp in a 400-degree oven. From Beth Dooley.
For broth:
• 3 to 3 1/2 lb. chicken, cut into parts (or packaged chicken parts)
• 1 leek, white part only, split horizontally, rinsed under cold water and cut in chunks
• 2 ribs celery with leaves, cut in chunks
• 3 carrots, scrubbed and cut in chunks
• 1 bunch parsley, leaves and stems, chopped
• 6 branches fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. whole peppercorns
• 1 tsp. salt, or more to taste
For soup:
• 4 carrots, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 c. diced cooked, skinless chicken, white and dark meat
• 8 oz. wide noodles, cooked and drained
• 1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese or Parmesan crisps (see Note)
Directions
To prepare broth: Place the chicken, leek, 2 ribs celery, 3 carrots, 1 bunch chopped parsley, 6 branches thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns into a deep pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the temperature and simmer the liquid until the chicken is very tender, about 75 to 90 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Remove the chicken to a carving board and allow it to cool. Set the pot with the broth over medium-low heat and simmer until the broth is reduced a little to enrich the flavor, about 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Strain the broth through a sieve into another pot and discard the herbs and vegetables. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken and cut the meat from the bone and into chunks. (At this point you can store the broth and the chicken separately in the refrigerator or freezer.)
To prepare soup: Add the 4 carrots, 1 rib celery and 1 tablespoon thyme to the broth and set over medium heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the diced chicken, noodles and 1/4 cup parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with Parmesan cheese or Parmesan crisps.
Nutrition information per each of 8 servings:
Calories240Fat6 gSodium830 mg
Carbohydrates28 gSaturated fat2 gTotal sugars3 g
Protein20 gCholesterol50 mgDietary fiber2 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 1 ½ starch, 2 lean protein.
