Day Four: Good Old Chicken Soup

You probably already guessed this part, didn't you? I mean, it was pretty obvious. And anyway, that's what you do with leftovers: make soup out of them. One thing that I noticed last night, when I was telling you about the potato pancakes, was that I gave a little misrepresentation. This four day meal isn't just made from a four pound chicken and eight potatoes. It's also made from an entire bag of onions, or just about. So I hope you liked onions, because I've been shoving them down your throat all week!

I'm pretty sure that there are more chicken soup recipes than there are currently chickens in the continental United States. This one is pretty much a combination of recipes I've come across over the years. I've been tinkering with it since I graduated from college, and had to start cooking for myself everyday. The original recipe wasn't anything exciting, and I've brought it to a truly palatable dish that, in my experience, tastes far better than anything from a can . I think the secret ingredient is the recipe for the stock I left you with two days ago, but if you have a good broth that you like, go with that. One thing that you can't change, though, is the presence of roasted chicken. Not poached chicken breast. It's too rubbery for this. If you don't want to roast your own chicken and all of that, buy a pre-made rotisserie chicken from your grocery store.

So, let's get started.

Lauren's Evolved Chicken Soup

Serves six

You can add any vegetables that you like to this soup. However, if you want to add celery or something that tends to get really mushy, try adding it with the chicken, and not with the vegetables I call for.

Ingredients:

Two tablespoons canola oil

Approximately 1 1/2 cups carrots, finely chopped

Approximately 2 cups onions, finely chopped

One and 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock

Two large containers of good quality chicken broth, low fat and low sodium, to be added separately.

Leftover Parmesan cheese rind (optional)

Three dried bay leaves

Six ounces (about half a bag) egg noodles

Two cups of roasted chicken, a mixture of white and dark meat, picked through to remove unsavory bits.

Fresh minced chives, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

In large soup or stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, and stir gradually with a wooden spoon. Allow the vegetables to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the homemade stock and stir. Add salt and pepper. Allow to heat about 2 minutes, then add one container of chicken broth. Add the rind and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions.

When the noodles are done cooking, fold in the chicken. Allow the soup to simmer about 15 minutes. Add the chives and any additional salt and pepper, if desired.

At this point, the soup is ready to serve, though it is recommended that you allow it to cool, then refrigerate and serve the next day. After refrigeration, the broth is likely to be reduced in amount, so add the second box of broth, or however much you think needs to be replaced. Heat the soup again on the stove. When sufficiently warmed, taste it. If it is too bland, add more salt and pepper. If it is too salty, add a little water. Repeat until the soup is seasoned to your taste. Remove the cheese rind and bay leaves before serving.