Chicken Noodle Soup–soup is good food!
About once a month or so, The Beloved and I go visit some of our favorite people in Pinehurst. Not that they are our favorites in Pinehurst, although that is certainly true, but they are some of our favorite people who happen to live in Pinehurst. I’m glad we got that all cleared up.
I know that Uncle Ray is a big Panera fan. Whenever he and “The Ladies” go in, they get the Star Treatment–the line folks will bring over their food (no schlepping for them, oh no). Everyone knows them by name (“Nooorrm!!”), and they always get a great table. Don’t think that it’s just because they are “elderly.” Nope–it’s because they are Good People in the truest sense of the word, and good breeds good.
We count ourselves fortunate to know them and to claim them as family.
The point of all of this, aside from letting you know how great these folks are, is that they love soup. This works out well for me, because I like to make soup, so yesterday I carted my homemade chicken noodle soup down there for our visit. Remember how that soup started out? You’ll be pleased to know it all turned out fine. But, since I’m not a planner, I forgot to take a picture of the soup in Auntie Ev’s lovely bowls. No, we ate it all. Five people, three of whom were adults during The Great Depression, devoured 1 3/4 quarts of soup. Shameful, but we were happy. And full. After lunch, when we were getting ready to head home, I realized that I’d forgotten to document the Soup Eating Process, so I asked them if they wouldn’t mind being on the Hinternet as “Happy People Who Have Recently Ingested Very Good Soup.” They were cool with that, so know that bellies full of soup hide behind (and somewhat to the south of) those smiling faces.
Auntie Ev and Uncle Ray–happy soup-eating people
Auntie ‘Leenie–another happy soup-eating person
Again, remember that I’m telling you exactly what I put in my soup. You use whatever you like. All amounts are guesses–after all, if I can’t even remember to thaw my stock before starting, do you really think that I use measuring cups?!
Better-Than-Panera Chicken Noodle Soup
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 2 ribs of celery, small dice
- 2 carrots, small dice
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- abot 1 TBSP Old Bay Seasoning (I love it)
- fine sea salt and fresh black pepper
Sweat everything together and then lightly caramelize. This took about 10 minutes or so. This is how I start almost all of my soups, and you can, too. If you want a cream-based soup, add a little more oil and an equal amount of flour and cook for a couple of extra minutes.
- Add (thawed) stock. I guess I had about 3 quarts or so that I had made the week before. (carcass from a roasted chicken, pepper corns, herbs, carrot, onion (w/skin, cut in half) 1 head of garlic (cut in half), celery, 1 shallot (w/skin on, cut), cold water to cover–simmer 8 hours. Strain)
- 1 bag of “soup mix”–carrots, green beans, onion, potato, okra, peas, corn.
- 1/2 bag of lima beans (they were in the freezer–I didn’t thaw them first)
- 2/3 bag of TJ’s Melange a Trois–tri-colored pepper strips (they were in the freezer, too)
Simmer, simmer, simmer until all the veggies are cooked and soup-like. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- 3 big handfuls of fine egg noodles (mine were made by the lovely folk at Manischewitz)
Simmer, simmer until noodles are tender. Serve. The End.
Questions? Yes, you in the green? Of course you can add some tomato paste at the beginning and throw in some diced tomatoes with the rest of the veggies. Over there in the back? Oh, right. If you went the roux route, add some half and half or even some heavy cream when you add the noodles. Yes, that’s all there is to it. One more…Ah,yes ma’am? Yes, deglazing with some wine before adding the stock would make for a very tasty soup. And there’s no reason you couldn’t add a squirt of lemon juice towards the end. If that’s all, let’s adjourn.
Post Script
Why using homemade stock makes a better soup:
Gelatin. Just look at the texture of the chilled soup. When heated, the gelatin melts, giving the soup body and richness that you just can’t get if you use boxed or canned broth. The soup will still be really good, but I don’t think soup can be great unless you start with homemade stock.
Do you see how the stock gels when chilled? That’s the mark of a soup made with slow-simmered stock.
zerrin says
Do you know what I’ll add in this soup? Lemon juice…I can drink a whole pot of this soup with this addition. I love this kind of soup, and this one sounds great for these cold winter days.
By the way, I have something for you in my blog. What do you say for a bowl of Hummus?
onlinepastrychef says
@zerrin I am all about the hummus! I love it, and your recipe is very similar to the way I make mine! Thanks for stopping by!
Chris says
Your relatives do look like they truly enjoyed your soup. I have one friend, another vegetarian, who also (rather paradoxically) enjoys Panera’s chicken noodle soup. To get an otherwise strict vegetarian to slurp up chicken broth means that perhaps it really is that good. Which, in turn, means I’ll have to try and make this for her and blow her socks off 🙂
And regarding your soup picture, I’ve actually had a nagging question for awhile now: how can one achieve the richness and consistency of your chicken soup without the homemade chicken (keyword “chicken”) stock? I’ve tried making my own veggie broth, but I guess, like you said, the gelatin in the chicken bones really imparts a lot of flavor and, more importantly, body. I was thinking some agar agar (because packaged gelatin isn’t vegetarian either), but it seems like such ad odd addition to soup. Any thoughts?
Natashya says
Mmm, we must be on the same wavelength this weekend! I love a nice chicken noodle soup – and I totally agree about the stock!
Cute family – enjoy them, I miss mine.
groovyoldlady says
Ah how I love a soupy story!
When we first moved to Maine I saw an add in the paper looking for folks to teach classes for the local adult education system. In particular, they were looking for someone to teach bread baking. My mind was immediately in whirl – I LOVE baking bread. I knew sweet bread and wheat bread, quick bread and thick bread. I could teach that class!
So, with my husband’s blessing, I filled out an application. Two weeks later they called me and said I was hired…to teach SOUP making!!!
I had never made a homemade soup IN MY LIFE! (Well, except for cheese soup and, um, well…that was it.)
There was no internet back then, so I had to turn to my afore mentioned (in previous comments) favorite cooking encyclopedias, raid the library and plan a six week course. I must say that God was gracious (VERY) and my classes were a success. We learned the basics of stock making. We made chilled soups, foreign soups, cream soups,noodle soups, chowders, stews, clear consommés (eeewwww!)
It was especially funny when we had recipes that called for wine. First of all, I never drank wine so I had NO idea what to buy. Secondly, I wasn’t sure if the school system would reimburse me for buying alcohol (they did). And lastly, I was teaching in the jt. high’s home-ec kitchen. Guess what?
NO CORKSCREW!
Heh-heh-heh!
It was alot of work, both mentally and physically, but it was incredibly fun. And guess who learned the most? Yep, me!
groovyoldlady says
Ooops, I saw an “ad”, not an “add”. Silly me!
Daily Spud says
Ahhh, so nice to see lots of happy, soup-filled people.
Following on from soup and mention of hummus, I’m now wondering if I shouldn’t just try whipping up a chickpea noodle soup sometime. Ya gotta admit, the thought has some merit! 🙂
michaela says
old bay is an interesting addition. i totally agree with the homemade stock, and with forgetting to defrost it as well.