Have you every heard of ‘grief bacon”? No? Me either. But I now know what it is. Because it is this month’s theme for LETS LUNCH What do you want when you feel down? Blue? Is there a special food?
I head for for the jar of Peanut Butter. Or the bag of M&Ms. I seldom make something for me when I am feeling blue. But if I just need something to ‘warm’ my soul I head for soup Not just any soup. Chicken Noodle Soup. Not decadent. Not soothing necessarily. But comforting. I remember sharing a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup with Mom. Cold days. Rainy days. Chicken Noodle Soup.
The recipe I used this time was based on a DASH recipe. Trying to eat a little better for our health brought me to this one. Comforting. Healthy. Delicious. And I served a nice hunk of Country Bread on the side. Bread = comfort food!
-
STOCK:
1 chicken (about 3 pounds) skinned and seperated, or 4 chicken quarters, skinned
8 cups water
2 onions, halved, the inner layer of skin left on
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 bouquet garni
4 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
SOUP
4 ounces spaghetti or linguine, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup barley
1/3 cup yellow lentils
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
First make the stock. Put the chicken parts in a large, heavy-based stockpot or saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, then pour in about 8 cups cold water to cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil, skimming the surface constantly until all gray scum is removed. {You could use store bought as long as it’s low sodium – even veggie stock}
Reduce the heat to low immediately after the liquid boils. Add the bouquet garni, peppercorns, and I teaspoon salt. Partially cover the pan and simmer for I hour, skimming as necessary. Test the chicken joints after 30-40 minutes; remove them as soon as the juices run clear when the joints are pierced with the point of a knife. Set aside. Salt and pepper to taste.
Line a large colander or sieve with dampened cheesecloth and place it over a large heatproof bowl, then strain the stock through this. Discard the vegetables and flavoring ingredients. Return stock to the cleaned pan. Skim off any excess fat on the surface of the stock. Cool and freeze the leftover stock to use as a chicken .stock in other recipes.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard all the bones. Cut 112 pound meat into bite-size pieces for use in the soup. Reserve the remaining chicken for sandwiches or other recipes.
Bring the stock to the boil, then reduce the heat so the stock is simmering. Add the spaghetti or linguine and the carrot, and simmer for 4 minutes. Add the celery and corn, lentils, and continue cooking until the pasta and all the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. I cooked the barley separately because it takes about an hour to cook.
Stir in the chicken with seasoning to taste and heat through. Sprinkle in the parsley and thyme, and serve the soup at once.
I added the barley and lentils to the recipe. You could even add quinoa. And any nice other veggie would be nice, too. Broccoli, squash, navy beans.
I also find making my own pasta very comforting so I made whole wheat noodles for the soup.
I’ll post that recipe later.
What did the other members bring to lunch? You can find a round up on Rebecca’s blog. She was our host this month.
January 17, 2014 at 9:37 AM
This soup looks lovely, Margaret. I especially love the addition of the lentils and barley. And, even more, the memory of you and your mother sharing this soup. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
January 17, 2014 at 9:38 AM
[…] noodles from Vivian at Vivian Pei Evil Grief Brownies from Annabelle at Glass of Fancy Chicken Noodle Soup from Margaret at Tea and […]
January 17, 2014 at 9:47 AM
[…] Chicken Noodle Soup from Tea and Scones. […]
January 17, 2014 at 9:54 AM
There’s really nothing like soup at this time of year. Love the addition of lentils!
January 17, 2014 at 10:07 AM
[…] Chicken Noodle Soup from Margaret at Tea and Scones […]
January 17, 2014 at 2:39 PM
Looks delicious!
January 17, 2014 at 10:30 PM
I think my grief bacon is bread and butter, but your soup looks like a contender!!!
January 18, 2014 at 11:59 AM
[…] noodles from Vivian at Vivian Pei Evil Grief Brownies from Annabelle at Glass of Fancy Chicken Noodle Soup from Margaret at Tea and Scones German pancakes from Cheryl at A Tiger in the […]
January 19, 2014 at 2:49 AM
These noodles are absolutely such a comfort. I want to get some chopsticks right now and dig in. Thanks for sharing the recipe. What fun to do Let’s Lunch with you !
January 19, 2014 at 6:37 AM
This looks SO good! I’m with you. Soup ALWAYS makes me feel better and this looks stellar. Thanks for sharing!
January 20, 2014 at 10:04 AM
I love that you put lentils and barley in your chicken soup!
February 18, 2019 at 2:05 PM
[…] Chicken Noodle Soup from Margaret at Tea and Scones […]