With cold weather, flus and colds, we could all use a little comfort chicken soup.
If you have access to a free range chicken, it is the best to start with, otherwise use a boiling fowl at the market. Put one whole chicken into a large pot, 5 liters or more and cover chicken with water. Add 3 to 4 bay leaves and 4 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp. salt. Put on to cook slowly for 2 -3 hours. Remove chicken. Debone the chicken. You can put the bones in a metal strainer and add to the pot while you chop vegetables if they aren’t ready for the pot yet.
Chop 7-8 carrots, 1 stalk of celery, 2-3 onions and 3 cloves of garlic or more if you like. Add to the pot after you remove the bones. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add 1-2 chopped or sliced lemons. Cook until all is soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chop 1 cup parsley and add until just cooked. You can have the soup like this or, with homemade drop noodles. My mom always made these and we loved them. Beat 2 golden, free range eggs, and a bit of salt, 1 tsp. oil, and 5 tbps. flour or more to make a stiff paste. Add a little water if too stiff. It should be like muffin dough. Drop small spoons into the boiling soup. The noodles will sink and come up when done. You can if you like add different herbs to the noodles and also chop fresh chives that are just poking through the soil now when you dish up the soup. Enjoy and be healthy.
Submitted by Ellen Lewers mrslewersfarmhouse@shaw.ca
