There are two parts to making really good chicken soup. Please read the recipe all the way through for ingredients, as they are listed as you need them. Here's how you start:
Place the following ingredients in a big pot, 8 quart sized is fine.
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is okay for this)
2 cloves garlic, with the skin, coarsely chopped
a handful of celery leaves or tops (the stuff you usually throw away)
half an onion, very coarsely chopped, including the skins, so wash them first
fresh parsley, rinsed but whole, with the stems
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. peppercorns
1 gallon of water
Bring to a boil, partially covered, then lower the heat and simmer for an hour, longer if you are starting with frozen chicken. Check the chicken to make sure that it is thoroughly cooked and tender enough to shred easily. Remove the chicken and veggies and set aside. Strain the soup through a very fine metal strainer into a large enough container to hold the soup. Even a big bowl works, if that's what you have. The stock should be really clear. Right now you have lovely, flavorful chicken stock, with no added sodium and miles better than anything you can buy at the store. You could let it cool and freeze it for later use in your favorite recipes. We aren't stopping here today.
Wipe out the pot you started the soup in. Scrub the white filminess off and rinse well. Return the chicken broth to the pot. To it you will add:
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
5 stalks celery, sliced
2 cups chunky - shredded chicken (that you boiled earlier)
Bring to a boil and simmer just until the carrots and celery are tender (about 20 minutes), then add
1/2 c. chopped parsley leaves (no stems please and I use curly for this)
salt and lots of pepper to taste
Serve over egg noodles that are just barely cooked.I cook about a pound, drain them and set aside to be added to the soup by the bowl. Whatever you do, never, ever cook your noodles in this soup. It will turn it starchy and unpleasant the next day. Please don't. This soup is special because of the richly flavored, clear broth. That should carry over even once you've added noodles.
A quick note: There are some that will tell you that you can't possibly make good stock without using chicken with bones. I disagree, and by adding flavorful ingredients along with the chicken, you give the stock a nice depth of flavor without messy bones and extra fat. You will probably have almost 2 cups leftover shredded cooked chicken after making the stock. I'm sure that you'll figure out what to do with it, but if you'd like, pop it into the freezer, we are going to be making chicken enchiladas soon.
