Chicken Noodle Soup

Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
Yield: 6 servings
Time: 170 minutes

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 chopped onion
1 cup washed and chopped celery
3 large scrubbed, thinly sliced carrots
4 cups dry noodles, dry
1 teaspoon thyme or sage (optional)

Instructions:

1. Thaw frozen chicken in refrigerator (about 24 hours), or thaw in microwave just before cooking soup.

2. Place chicken pieces in large kettle. Cover completely with water. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 2-3 hours.

3. With soap and water, carefully wash your hands and any counter surfaces and equipment that came in contact with raw chicken.

4. Remove cooked chicken pieces from broth with tongs or slotted spoon. Cool 10-15 minutes before separateing bones and skin from meat. Break meat into bite-size pieces. Remove any bones or skin from broth.

5. Remove fat from broth by skimming with spoon, adding and removing ice cubes, or blotting top of broth with paper towels.

6. Put chicken meat, seasonings and vegetables into stock.

7. Bring broth to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook about 15-20 minutes on medium heat until sliced carrots are crispy-tender.

8. Add noodles and boil uncovered for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up any noodles that might stick together. (One cup of dry noodles (1.5 ounce) makes one cup of cooked noodles).

9. Ladle into soup bowls.

10. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. If refrigerated, use within 2 days. When reheating, bring to a boil.

Source: US Department of Agriculture