Super Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

Finish It Up

How is your chicken coming along?  As of now, you should have one third of cut up chicken meat, a chicken carcass, and the heart and gizzards left.  Today we will make meals #6 and #7 using the rest of the meat and the carcass.  Stay tuned tomorrow for a “Bonus Meal!” using the heart and gizzards.

Super Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

• Chicken carcass
• 6 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 8 c. water
• Final 1/3 of chicken meat
• 2 c. frozen or fresh mixed vegetable assortment (carrots, green beans, peas, and corn)
• ½ c. celery, chopped
• 1 t. rosemary
• ½ t. basil
• 1/2 t. parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package egg noodles, uncooked

In a large crock pot, add chicken carcass, bouillon cubes, and water.  Cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 5 hours.  Remove and discard chicken carcass.  Add last 1/3 of chicken meat, mixed vegetables, celery, spices, and egg noodles.  Cook an additional hour or until egg noodles are fully cooked.  Serve.

This meal makes enough to serve my family of four for two nights.  If you or your family do not wish to have chicken seven nights in a row, this recipe is perfect for freezing.  Cook as above except omit the noodles.  Freeze the whole batch or divide in half.

Notes:

• If you do not own a crock pot, use a large pot on medium-low heat on the stove top.  Simmer the carcass for 4 to 5 hours.
• For fresher tasting noodles, cook separately and add to soup when serving.
• You may substitute five cans of chicken broth for chicken bouillon and water.
• You may substitute rice for egg noodles to make Chicken and Rice Soup.

If you are really willing to push the envelope, you can split the carcass in two, use one half for the above recipe and boil down the second half for broth to freeze and use in future soups and recipes.

Tomorrow:  Bonus Meal!