A Boy and A Girl...

every time damon gets sick (1: i never get sick, 2: this has only happened 3 times since we've dated anyway...), i CRAVE chicken noodle soup. why? because i love soup so much. and chicken noodle is the VERY BEST KIND. so i take the opportunity while my man is feeling down in the dumps to return to my love affair with...

The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup.

(oh, you don't know who The Lady is? that's too bad. you haven't experienced the extravagance of big jewels, big hair, big big BIG southern drawl, and sticks of 'buttah' galore? please, allow me to indulge your wildest creamiest cheesiest fattiest most comforting comforty foodest ever...

Hello Pretty Blue Eyes )

in the meantime, GO MAKE THIS SOUP! (and see my variations at the bottom)

The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:

25 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup cooking sherry
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
• Seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

ok, now wanna know how i cheat? i buy chicken stock from the store. i don't boil a whole chicken, i just throw those chicken tenders in the boiling stock (i usually buy 2 jugs of stock and then just ad more water and a chicken boullion or 2), i use dried rosemary cause i can never find it fresh at normal stores

seriously, enjoy your heart out- the cream makes the soup, so i advise against skipping it. the parmasean is hit or miss, sometimes it clumps too much for my tastes. but i still love it.