As Good as Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Soup just like grandma used to make

Well, the weather is getting a little colder.   A lot of people are unfortunately getting a little under the weather.  Yours truly was one of them.  I don’t know why, but a bowl of chicken soup just tastes so good when you are sick.  When you are sick, a regular bowl of chicken soup won’t do.  You need to have the best!  You know, just like grandma used to make. The problem is you don’t want to make any when you feel like someone just pounded you from head to toe with a baseball bat.  Now, a former boss once told me, “Gregg, come to me with solutions not problems.”  Actually, that’s some pretty darn good advice.  So, here is my solution if you don’t want to eat that crappy soup that Andy Warhol painted.  Make it now and freeze it.  That way when you are sick all you have to do is warm it up.  What a genius idea!!!  Everyone should make a couple of batches of chicken soup to get you through the winter.  So, what are you waiting for???  Time to get started!!!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  3 hours

INGREDIENTS:

Stock:

• 1 Cooked (Preferably a leftover) Chicken Carcass
• 1 Large Onion
• 3 Carrots
• 3 Celery Hearts, Chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 2 Cloves Pressed Garlic
• 1 Tsp Whole Black Peppercorns

Soup:

• 4 Carrots
• 4 Celery Hearts
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
• Kosher Salt
• 1 Package Your Favorite Noodles (I used orecchiette, little ears).
• 1 Cup Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Water

DIRECTIONS FOR THE STOCK:

• Roughly chop all vegetables for the stock: onions, green pepper, carrots, celery, garlic.  No need to spend a lot of time chopping as these items will be thrown away.
• Add all veggies, peppercorns, and cooked chicken carcass to a large stockpot .
• Add enough water to submerge the chicken and vegetables by a few inches.
• Heat stock pot over high heat to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Take special care to remove any of the “foam” that boils off the chicken and goes to top of the pot.
• At 2 hours, remove from heat.  Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.
• Drain the stock through a fine strainer.  Be sure to extract every bit of juice out the veggies by smashing them against the strainer.
• Rinse the stockpot and add the strained stock back to stockpot.
• Congratulations!  Your stock is complete.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SOUP:

• Mince the onion and add to the stock.
• Chop the celery and carrots into bite sized pieces.
• Add italian seasoning, pepper, and salt to taste.
• Return to boil, cover,  and cook approx. 1 hour until the veggies are soft stirring occasionally.
• When the chicken has cooled, remove the remaining meat from the carcass.  Place on cutting board and chop roughly.
• Prepare noodles according to instructions with one exception.  I don’t like to add the noodles to the soup as they will soak up all the broth.  I would recommend to rinse noodles with cold water so the don’t stick together.  Add an extra two minutes to cooking time if you like your noodles a little soggy.  This is the only time I will ever allow you to prepare noodles other than al dente.
• At the 1 hour mark, it’s time to thicken the soup. Combine the corn starch with 1 cup of water in a shaker.  Shake well.  Add the mixture to the soup slowly and keep stirring.  You don’t want any lumps.  You may have to add a little more or less depending on how much broth you have.  If you over thicken, just add some water.
• Add the chicken meat to the soup and heat through.
• Put a couple scoops of cooked noodles in a soup bowl then add a couple of ladles of chicken soup.
• Enjoy a bowl of deliciousness and get well soon if you are sick!

Serves a whole bunch of people.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup, a hearty and healthy soup.

Well, the weather is getting a little cooler.  Autumn is on its way.  There is nothing better than some healthy, hearty soup in the fall.  This is one my favorites.  It’s very easy to make, healthy, and fills you up.  Please take note, there is very little sodium in this recipe.  This is one of the best things about making your own soups.  You can season with spices, rather than salt.  Take a look at all those soups you buy at the supermarket (Campbell’s, Progresso, Etc).  Let me guess, you thought you were being healthy by eating soup.  Too bad, there’s 1000 mg of sodium per cup.  Trust me, make your own soup.  Your arteries will thank you.

One last thing, serve this soup with a slice of hearty bread.  You may want to try the Jalapeno Corn Bread recipe from our previous post.  These go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  75 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Medium Onions, Diced
• 2 Green Peppers, Sliced and Chopped
• 1/2 lb Carrots, Chopped
• 8 Celery Hearts, Chopped
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers (or Habanero Peppers if you like it really hot), Chopped
• 3 1/2 lbs of pureed tomatoes (I recommend whole peeled tomatoes and then puree yourself)
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Pressed and Minced (use your OXO Steel Garlic Press)
• 2 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
• 2 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 24 oz Vegetable Stock
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 Small (6″) Corn Tortillas
• 1 Large Chicken Breast
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 Bunch Chopped Cilantro
• Extra Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Handful of Baked Lays Tortilla Chips

DIRECTIONS:

• Roughly chop all vegetables: onions, peppers, carrots, celery, hot peppers, garlic.  No need to spend a lot of time chopping as we will be blending the soup later.
• Add all veggies to a large stockpot or large pot.  Add olive oil.
• Sautee over low-med heat for 10-15 minutes until veggies are soft.  Stir frequently.
• Add tomatoes, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and vegetable stock.
• Return to boil and then tear apart tortillas.  Add tortillas to soup.
• Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.
• Grill or cook chicken breast.  Then finely chop.
• Transfer soup to blender and puree.
• Take pureed soup and return to stockpot.  Add chopped chicken breast.
• Return to boil and simmer (covered) for another 15 minutes
• Place in soup bowls.
• Garnish with shredded cheddar, a handful of crushed baked lays tortillas, and some chopped cilantro

SUMMER CORN CHOWDER

Picture courtesy of Facebook.com

Yesterday, I had lunch at Panera Bread.  They had one of my favorite soups on the menu, Summer Corn Chowder!!!  I absolutely love corn chowder, so I was delighted to see it on the menu.  How was it that I never knew that they served this soup there???

So while I was eating this soup, I searched the internet looking for a copycat recipe for this delicious soup.  Well, I found one for you and the reviews look pretty good.  If you love corn chowder as much as I do, give it a try.  I will be making a trip to the farmer’s market this weekend to buy some fresh corn in order to make a nice tasty pot of deliciousness!!!

I found recipe at Epicurious.  Click here: Panera Bread Summer Corn Chowder Copycat Recipe