Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 whole chicken, (=4 lbs) breast removed and split 2 medium onions, cut into med. dice 2 qts boiling water (or I use chicken broth) salt 2 bay leaves 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced 1 med rib celery, sliced 1/4 tsp dried thyme 2 cups wide egg noodles 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced ground black pepper
|
Directions: |
Directions:Heat oil in large soup kettle. When oil shimmers and starts to smoke, add chicken breast halves: saute until brown on both sides, about 5 mins. Remove and set aside. Add half of chopped onions to kettle and saute until colored and slightly softened; 2-3 mins. Transfer to med. bowl; set aside. Saute half of chicken pieces until no longer pink; 4-5 mins. Transfer to bowl with onions. Saute remaining chicken pieces. Return onions and chicken (excluding breasts) to kettle. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken releases its juices; about 20 mins. Increase heat to high; add boiling water along with breast halves, 2 tsp salt and bay leaves. Return to simmer, then cover and barely simmer until breasts are cooked and broth is rich and flavorful; about 20 minutes.
Remove breasts from kettle; set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and shred into bite sized pieces. Strain broth; discard bones. Skim fat from broth, reserving 2 Tbsp. (Broth and meat can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days)
Return soup kettle to med-high heat. Add reserved chicken fat. Add remaining onions, along with the carrot and celery; saute until softened; about 5 mins. Add thyme, along with broth and chicken; simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors meld; 10-15 mins. Add noodles and cook until just tender; 5 mins. Adjust seasonings, stir in parsley and serve. |