Souper Sunday: Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle

I didn't make soup last Sunday.  Sunday was the Superbowl, and we'll be eating Wick-Fowler Chili, compliments of J.  It's his specialty, and it's good.  I made the crostini and Carolyn's rolls I posted earlier this week.
I did think, however, I would grace you with a new soup recipe for today.  My friend Sandy talked about making her favourite chicken noodle soup on Facebook, and I asked for the recipe.  She actually sent me two...I have a lasagne soup waiting in the wings for another week.  But here's her email with the recipe:

Hi Sarah!  Here are the two recipes, as promised. Both are from a magazine/book I picked up a few years ago – “Splendid Soups & Spectacular Sides” by Cuisine at Home. There’s no date on the cover, so I’m not even sure how old it is.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole chicken, seasoned with salt & pepper (3-4 lbs)  

8 cups chicken broth

2-1/2 cups celery, sliced

1-1/2 cups carrot, sliced

1-1/2 cups leeks, sliced

8 oz kluski noodles

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges

 

Preheat oven to 450.  Roast chicken on a rack in a roasting pan for 1 hour, or to an internal temp of 165 in the thigh. Remove from the oven and let rest 15-20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones in bite-size pieces.

Bring broth, celery, carrots, and leeks to a boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken pieces and any juices from the roasting pan; simmer 5 more minutes. Add noodles, cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 15 minutes, then test a noodle for doneness. If still slightly undercooked, replace lid and let stand an additional 3-5 minutes or until fully tender.  Stir in parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

I had to google kluski noodles to learn what they were, and they're Polish.  My community is largely German, so I bought German egg soup noodles.  They're ridiculously small!  I have also removed Sandy's notes about what she did...even though I followed some of her suggestions.  Just so you know that some of what I'm telling you she told me too.

Mr. Noodles on steroids.  That's what it reminded me of.  Well...Mr. Noodles with less sodium, actual vegetables and pieces of meat.  It was really good, even if you could eat it with a fork.  By the next day, the noodles had absorbed all the rest of the broth and it was fork ready.   Sandy suggested adding a chopped onion, and I did so.  Neither Sandy nor I used the lemon wedges and parsley, but I'm sure they'd be a nice addition.  Good flavour, great aroma, and nice taste.
J liked it, and I did too...but there are other soups.  I think maybe if I'd used half the noodles I would have been happier.  But on a night where I didn't want to cook, this went together fast and easy.  The longest part was waiting for the chicken to roast, which I had done in the morning and cleaned before I left for an afternoon appointment.
It was comfort food, plain and simple.  With too many noodles.