Chicken Noodle Soup (and variants)

Vegetable

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 25g butter
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 5mm-thick slices
• 1 leek, pale section only, halved lengthways, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stick (leaves included), ends trimmed, halved lengthways, coarsely chopped
• 1L (4 cups) chicken stock
• 140g (1 cup) finely chopped Woolworths Country Style Roast Chicken
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 x 440g pkt Singapore-style
• shelf-fresh noodles
• Crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, leek and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the leek softens.
2. Add the stock. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the chicken and thyme and simmer covered, for 3 minutes.
3. Add the noodles to the pan and cook, covered, for 2 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Ladle the soup among serving bowls. Serve with crusty bread.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock or consomme
• 2 cups (500ml) water
• 1 tbs finely grated ginger
• 2 tbs dry sherry
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 large (about 200g) chicken breast fillet
• 90g somen noodles
• 1 carrot, peeled, cut into long matchsticks
• 150g snow peas, trimmed, thinly sliced lengthways
• 4 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced lengthways
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Method

1. Place the chicken stock, water, ginger, sherry and soy sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and cook for 8 minutes or until just cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a plate.
2. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken. Return chicken to the pan with the noodles. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until heated through and noodles are tender. Add carrot, snow peas and half the green onion and cook for 1 minute or until just tender. Remove from heat.
3. Ladle the soup evenly among serving bowls. Top with remaining green onions and serve immediately.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 large carrots
• 4 celery stalks
• 4 Steggles chicken drumsticks (see tip)
• 1 large brown onion, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bouquet garni
• 80g dried vermicelli egg pasta
• Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Method

1. Roughly chop half the carrot and celery. Place chopped carrot and celery, chicken, onion, peppercorns, parsley sprigs and bouquet garni in a large saucepan. Add 8 cups cold water. Place over medium-high heat. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and starts to come away from the bone.
2. Using tongs, remove chicken. Place in a heatproof dish. Cover and refrigerate. Place a fine sieve over a large, heatproof bowl. Strain stock mixture. Discard solids. Cool stock slightly. Cover. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Finely dice remaining carrot and celery. Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Chop chicken meat. Remove stock from fridge. Using a spoon, remove and discard fat from surface of stock. Pour stock into a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Bring to the boil. Add pasta, carrot and celery. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta and carrot are just tender. Add chicken. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.