One of my favorite all-time soups, the noodles have a habit of soaking up all of the available liquid over night. If you open the fridge the next day and find you soup has become a solid block of chicken-and-vegetable infused noodles, just add a can or two of broth to thin it out.
1 large broiler chicken, about 3 lbs
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots or 12 baby-peeled carrots, chopped
6 - 14 oz. cans of reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
1 tbsp poultry seasoning (no salt)
1/2 lb frozen mixed vegetables (optional)
1/2 lb dried wide egg noodles
Salt and pepper
Cut up the chicken and remove the skin. Toss into a 4 quart stock pot with the chopped vegetables, poultry seasoning and chicken broth. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat falls off the bones. Remove the chicken pieces and separate the meat from the bones, returning the meat to the soup. Skim the fat.* Add the frozen veggies if desired, bring back to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the egg noodles and cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
*If you have the time, put in the fridge overnight to enhance fat removal, then add the veggies and noodles the next day.
