Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Revisiting Chicken Soup - This Time with Pictures!


A year or two ago I shared my sister-in-law's recipe for chicken soup, except I was so excited about it that I forgot to take any pictures until the end. Can you imagine? A visual learner such as myself forgetting the pix? The horror.

So I'm here today to correct that. But first...

Lookie what we woke up to Thursday morning!
Snow! Not sleet. Not ice. Seven inches of white, fluffy snow!
I can't tell you how happy, happy, happy that made me.

Ahem...

Now that I've gotten that out of my system...

This chicken soup recipe is fairly easy and the actually cooking time isn't long. However, there is some prep work, so plan on about an hour and half  from the time you start chopping until the time you're sitting down to eat.

Here's what you'll need:

  • 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5-6 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 4-5 stalks celery, sliced
  • 2 quarts chicken broth
  • 1 quart vegetable broth (or use 3 chicken)
  • 2-3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1-2 dashes red pepper flakes
  • l large bay leaf (optional)
  • 3-4 cubes (or equivalent) chicken bouillon
  • 1 package Kluski or Bohemian noodles



I like to chop and gather everything for this dish before I actually start cooking.
Once that's done, place a large Dutch oven over high heat and add your olive oil. 

When the oil is heated, add the chicken, onions and garlic.

Cook until meat is browned.
Okay, so it doesn't exactly brown because there's a lot of moisture in there from the onions. The main thing is that you don't want to see any pink meat.

Next, you'll add your carrots, celery and all of your seasonings.
Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Boy, oh boy, does my house smell yummy. Talk about whetting your appetite.

Add noodles and simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Delicious.

Now that's one lean meal. With loads of flavor. I try to limit the amount of noodles in my bowl, since I'm watching my carbs, but you might want to eliminate them all together. That is, if you won't have people glaring at you across the table because you did such an atrocious thing.

And if you have anyone in your house with a cold, this is the perfect meal. Feel free to up the garlic and red pepper flakes. ;)

Would you believe that Texas schools are on spring break this week? Something I find rather odd since spring doesn't start until March 20th. But then, they never ask me.

And yes, our snow is gone. Within 48 hours of its arrival, for the most part. But when July comes and temps hit 110, I'll be remembering it fondly.

8 comments:

  1. Love chicken soup recipes! It's crazy to see snow in Texas. I am just hoping I'm not complaining about 99 degrees and 100% humidity this summer. Maybe we should make a pact!

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    1. Julie, it is definitely crazy to see that much snow in Texas. Which makes it a special treat. So much better than the ice we usually see.

      Funny you should mention about complaining this summer. Back in Jan/Feb when much of the northern part of the country was in a deep freeze, a lot of my friends in Michigan were posting pix of the dashboards in their cars showing subzero temperatures. So I've already been contemplating posting my version when the dashboard thermometer in my car reads 110 this summer. ;) It's all a trade-off.

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  2. I want to know what makes a noodle Bohemian????? Is it a wanderer, a vagabond or are they truly from the historic Czech Republic???? And do they play flute, violin or... write poetry????? Or sing Bohemian Rhapsody???? (I did not post a link here, but if you don't remember Bohemian Rhapsody.... you're probably YOUNG. Sigh...) I love all the ingredients in this soup, it makes mine look rather uninspired but I'm okay with being shown up by the Tex as long as it SNOWED in her neck of the woods!

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    1. Not remember Bohemian Rhapsody? Are you kidding, Ruthy? My kids even know that song. However, I remember when it first released.

      As for the Bohemian noodle, I do not have an answer. I buy these noodles when I'm at the ranch. Huge Czech community, lots of Bohemians. At least, that's what they call themselves. But the Klusky noodles look much the same. Hey, is Klusky a Boho name?

      I can't take the credit for this recipe, though. That honor goes to my SIL who lives at the ranch and does not get snow. However, she's a great cook.

      Next time I open a bag of noodles, I will listen extra close to see if I hear any music. ;)

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  3. Looks delish!!! Loved the winter photo! We haven't had a decent snow this winter. Only had terrible ice and about a half inch of snow.

    I'm with Ruthy on wanting to know what kind of noodles those are! :)

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    1. Ugh on the ice, Missy. We got some, but not near as bad as last year. We couldn't get out of our driveway for three days then.

      Snow is so much prettier. Like I told Julie, a real treat.

      See my note to Ruthy on the noodles. She's so creative.

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  4. My father-in-law's family was from Bohemia. I always blame the Drexler quirkiness on that. It has to be from the Drexler side, because I don't suffer from it.

    Wait a minute - I definitely suffer from it. I live with five people who are Drexlers by birth :)

    Anyway, this chicken soup looks fabulous! The Worcestershire sauce caught my eye - that would give it a tangy, savory oomph. I'll have to try this, whether I can find the Bohemian noodles or not!

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    1. Jan, the Kluski noodles aren't difficult to find. No Yolks and Manischevtz both make them. They're texture is different from a regular egg noodle which tend to get kind of mushy. And nobody wants mushy noodles.

      A houseful of Bohemians, huh? Girl, you don't stand a chance. ☺️

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