The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Every family, every generation has a chicken noodle soup recipe. My family was more like chicken gumbo or chicken and dumplings (my Louisiana side) and my mom made a lighter version with egg noodles, but we really didn’t have a tried and true lick the bottom of the bowl version. So I had to come up with a recipe that got my kids away from the canned versions you find at the store and eating one we could stake some heritage into, at least from here on out.

Freezer Bliss

By the way, I am a self confessed freezer addict. There! No special meetings necessary to admit it. I love my deep freeze and I’m proud of it! Mainly because instead of eating OUT, we eat IN by way of dishes I froze weeks ago and give us a wide variety when we need a “TO-GO” dinner.

So to start a good chicken soup, you have to start with… yep, you guessed it: CHICKEN! (you’re so smart)

Put 2 happy 7 plump chickens in a large stock pot and cover with COLD water (hot water will turn the broth cloudy)

Boil chicken and strain the broth through a cheese cloth lined colander

You’re gonna want a very, very large batch of this soup! The most you can fit in your freezer, the better. I freeze mine without the noodles (we’ll discuss that later).

Prep your veggies while the stock bubbles away.

You’ll need the traditional 3: Carrots, Celery, and Onions.

Carrots and Celery, chopped in bite sized pieces (this might be the only time I ever bother to cut things so tiny)

I add a 4th to the mix: Leeks

Leeks have to be soaked in a large bowl of water after they’re chopped. They grow in sandy soil and the grains will fall to the bottom of the water bath as they soak. Use a spider or slotted spoon to pull them from the water. DO NOT pour them into a colander. It will just dump the sand right back on top of them.

This is a SPIDER. I love love love them. Buy both sizes. Great for blanching veggies, frying foods like okra, and straining things really well.

Pull the leeks from the top of the water so the grit stays on the bottom of the bowl

Onions and Leeks

All the veggies join the party. Into the pot pretty veggies….

And a one…

And a two…

We can’t forget about the chicken! He’s the star of the show!

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat and discard the bones & skin.

Add the chicken and a lovely list of spices

Chicken Base, Herbs de Provence, Turmeric, Salt & Pepper flavor the soup

Here’s where you let the soup cook and get happy. Place the amount you plan to eat right away in a smaller pot. This will be the batch you’ll boil the noodles with. Don’t add the noodles to the whole batch because they’ll be mushy when you defrost the batches from the freezer. This can be done the day before (soup is always better the day after, isn’t it?). Leave the rest in the big pot to fully cool before putting up in freezer containers. I use 1 QT plastic cylinders with screw lids. Leave at least 2″ space at the top so the cap doesn’t bust when the soup expands as it freezes. Label each container with shorthand of the dish (CHK SOUP/ADD NDLS) and a date.

Add old school yellow egg noodles to the batch you plan to eat tonight

You’re left with the perfect blend of happiness in a pot