I really dislike being cold. Really. Keep telling me how beautiful the snow and ice is…..I just don’t get it. I like sunshine with warm breezes. But that isn’t my reality. This icy stuff is:
Not my preference to be sure. But I need to stay warm until the sunshine returns. Weather like this just cries out for soup. Can’t you hear it whispered in the icy branches swaying in the wind? Or is that a bit too much of Bailey’s and coffee? Matters not, let’s make soup!
Everyone probably has their favorite chicken soup plan so I will simply list my ingredients and then we will delve into the noodle making.
With a tablespoon of butter in a 5 qt saucepan, I sauteed chopped onion, garlic, celery, baby portabella mushrooms and a chopped yellow squash. After cooking for about 10 minutes, I added salt and pepper, chopped fresh poultry seasoning (thyme, sage, rosemary), about 8 cups of water and 5 chicken legs. I prefer dark meat, but use what you have. I suggest avoiding boneless, skinless breasts. The skin and bones give the broth depth and flavor, so don’t throw that away just yet. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken is done (about 30-45 minutes depending on parts). Remove legs from broth and shred chicken with two forks. Toss the skin and bones, they have served their purpose. Add the shredded chicken back to the soup. Finally I added package of frozen peas, corn and carrots. You may need to “top off” the pot with additional water or stock as the soup cooks.
Now to make the noodles. You will need the following:
1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 eggs-beaten
salt-a pinch
baking powder-a pinch
milk-1 tablespoon
flour for your work surface
Measure your flour and place into a large bowl
Next get your salt and baking powder
Measure out a pinch of each and place in bowl with flour
Add 1 Tablespoon of milk
Finally, crack 2 large eggs and beat well in a small bowl
Pour the beaten egg into the flour mixture
Using a fork, gradually begin to combine the flour mixture
It should begin to look like this:
Continue to blend until most of the flour is moistened and beginning to take form
Next, flour your bread board or work surface generously.
Turn dough out onto your work surface and press together with the heel of your hand.
Take care not to overwork the dough. It will not be a smooth and pretty affair. This is shaggy and rustic at its finest. Just go with it.
Flatten out the ball with the heel of your hand to make it easier to roll out.
With a rolling pin, flatten out your ragged little hunk of egg dough. It should be about an 1/8″ thick. Don’t leave the dough too thick…..remember we added baking powder so these noodles will “puff” up a bit when cooked. Much like a dumpling.
Now with a table knife, cut strips of noodles or cut into squares if you prefer a more classic dumpling style noodle.
Gather your noodles in a nice little pile and toss them with the flour to keep them from sticking to one another. I know this doesn’t look like it makes much, but don’t be fooled. These are hearty and filling.
Now bring your chicken soup (or stock or what ever liquid you wish to cook these noodles in) to a rolling boil.
Add them in a few at a time. Again, you don’t want them to stick together and form one gross ball of dough and you don’t want to reduce the temperature of the stock too much.
Allow the entire batch of noodles to boil at least 15 minutes. It would be even better if you then turned the soup down and allowed the whole thing to simmer for an additional hour. That is if the hungry, clamoring masses can be held off for that long!
Look at those lovely yellow egg noodles boiling in my pot!
Enjoy your winter day warm up!
Gonna try this!!