GLADY'S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

It’s officially winter now and even though the shops are filled with spring, I want to take a few blogs to celebrate winter with all its charms, its activities and its seasonal food, of course. Nothing like real fireplaces, good books, hot cocoa and hearty soups. Add into that a bit of homemade bread and jig-saw puzzles and the result is near perfection.

Here is a soup I grew up with and its taste is internally engraved on my memory. Our maternal grandmother whom we called Glady, was of direct german descent, and she made all sorts of wonderful old worldly type food…Yum. Chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles was one of her regulars. This version I have fiddled with a bit and made it my own…. Feel free to apply your own fiddling!

GLADYS CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Feeds 4 cold and hungry souls

1 cup chopped celery         
1 cup chopped onion

½ stick butter (or less)

       Place together in a large, heavy saucepan and sweat vegetables until limp,  remove vegetables from pot and set aside     

4 large chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into more or less 1” pieces
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
       heat olive oil in it. Place chicken pieces in hot oil and season well with:
Course sea salt
Dried thyme
        Allow the chicken pieces to brown nicely, stirring occasionally. Combine the celery and onions with the chicken and add

4-½ quarts (10 cups) rich chicken broth. (if using cans or cartons of broth, augment flavor with chicken stock cubes or graduals…..works wonders)
3-4 bay leaves
2 cups chopped carrots
       Simmer this mixture 20 minutes, then add

4 chopped garlic cloves

3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary (Can substitute dried)    
Red pepper flakes to taste
8-10 leaves of Swiss Chard, roughly chopped
Egg noodles --- Again you have options; I use homemade and/or fresh pasta because my grandmother did, but dried shop pasta is just fine.
Add some boiling water at this point if you feel the soup needs more liquid

       

Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are done to your liking. Taste, adjust seasonings, top with chopped parsley and you’re set to go!