Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup

My grandma taught me to make this soup when I was about twelve years old.  It's been a family classic ever since.  The very best way to make this soup is with a whole chicken, simmered in a pot to make your own chicken stock.  Whole chickens cost about eighteen dollars at the store, so I usually opt for a slightly modified version.

One great thing about this soup is that it's easy to make a little or make a lot.  If you're feeding a bunch of people, just use a big pot (or two or three pots) and add more of the ingredients.  If you're feeding just a few, add less of everything.  Steve and I were having friends over for dinner, so this recipe makes enough for four adults plus leftovers.





Start with a diced onion and some sliced carrots in a pot with a little olive oil.  Cook over medium heat until they start to get soft.





Add six cups of water and six bouillon cubes.  (This is where you would add your own chicken stock if you went the whole chicken route.)





Next went good old canned chicken from Sam's Club.  I used two thirteen ounce cans and dumped in the chicken and broth.  (You can also use un-canned chicken.)





Celery comes next.  I used four stalks, but you could use as much or as little as you want.





This is Grandma's secret.  She likes to add a can or two of cream of chicken soup to thicken everything up.  I used one can.

Simmer everything together on medium low while you make the noodles.





The noodles start with eggs.  I used three eggs.  When I made this for my family of eight back home, I used six eggs.





Add three half-eggshells of water.  (If you used six eggs, use six half-eggshells of water, etc., etc.)





About a teaspoon of salt.





My grandma's next instruction would be to "stiffen with flour."  Lest that not be helpful to our dear readers, I kept careful track of how much flour I added.  I started with one cup...





Two cups...  At this point I abandoned the spoon and started using my hands to mix the flour in...





Three cups...  The dough should be soft but not super sticky.





To roll out and cut the noodles you need a rolling pin, a cutting board, and an ulu.  (If you don't have an ulu a pizza cutter or sharp knife works too.)

Note to readers: I am fully aware that this is a cheap ulu from Wal-Mart.  I don't own a legitimate ulu with an ivory or bone handle because I have not yet been able to afford one.  Thank you.





Roll the dough out onto the cutting board until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into thin strips with the ulu.





Place the noodles in the soup.  Turn the temperature up to medium as you add the noodles.





Cook on medium until the noodles are no longer doughy in the center.

Here's the recipe:

1 onion, diced
several carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups of chicken broth or water with bouillon
2 cans of chicken- 13oz each
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup

Noodles:

3 eggs
3 half-eggshells of water
1 tsp salt
approximately 3 cups flour

Cook the onion and carrots in olive oil over medium heat until they start to get soft.  Add six cups of water and six bouillon cubes.  Add canned chicken and broth.  Add celery.  Simmer everything together on medium low while you make the noodles.

Mix eggs, water, and salt with a fork.  Add flour one cup at a time.  The dough should be soft but not super sticky.  Roll the dough out onto the cutting board until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into thin strips.  Place the noodles in the soup.  Turn the temperature up to medium as you add the noodles.  Cook on medium until the noodles are no longer doughy in the center.