not your grandma’s lemon-thyme-chicken noodle

What to get...

• 4 large chicken breasts (bone in, with skin)
• 4 lemons, juiced (zest of 2 of them, avoid pith)
• 1 lemon quartered, for making stock
• 5 ribs celery
• 2 sweet onions (or 1 very large onion)
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme
• 2 large carrots
• 1 bag (16 oz) of egg noodles (Pennsylvania Dutch) *We'll use ~1/2 bag
• 1 8-oz can additional chicken broth (low sodium)
• 1 32-oz carton chicken stock (low sodium) *will use to make stock
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 - 1 cup white wine (dry, not sweet)
• 1 stick butter
• kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, poultry seasoning, dried thyme
• fresh sourdough bread for dipping

What to do...

Make Soup Stock:
1. In a large pot, place chicken breasts (season first with salt, pepper, paprika and about 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning), 1/2 small onion quartered, 2 celery ribs with leaves cut into chunks, lemon (quartered & squeezed over chicken), 6 garlic cloves (cloves peeled & smashed), 1 tsp dried thyme, and several sprigs of fresh thyme. Add carton of chicken stock & 2 cups water, as needed to just cover chicken in pot. Simmer on low-medium for until chicken breasts are cooked through, but not overcooked! (avoid a rapid boil here), anywhere between 40 min- 1hr, but mine took less.
2. Now we'll strain the pot of stock, setting aside cooked chicken breasts in another bowl to cool. Reserve all strained broth to add to soup.
Prep Soup Ingredients:
3. Chop large onion, celery, & remaining garlic cloves, well.
4. Slice carrots, thin-medium.
5. When chicken is cooled, remove skin & shred white breast meat, set aside (watch for bones).
6. Remove individual, fresh thyme leaves from stems & chop (about 5 Tablespoons, or roughly 10 large sprigs or so)
7. Zest 2 of the lemons, and juice 4 (strain any seeds), set aside
Combine & Simmer Soup:
8. Preheat large enameled cast-iron pot, add 1 stick butter and allow to melt, but not brown.
9. Once melted add chopped garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 tsp coarse black pepper, and 1/2 tsp paprika.
10. Sauté for a several minutes, until tender.
11. Now add celery and little of cooking stock as needed.
12. Next add the chopped fresh thyme, and strained homemade stock (you already set aside) & chicken broth.
13. Let mixture come to temperature & add your shredded chicken meat. (You're pot should be simmering on medium-low at this point).
14. Add zest of 2 the lemons and juice of the reamining 4.
15. Add the carrot slices. Allow to simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low, lid on.
16. Now add little over 1/2 package of the dry egg noodles & bring soup to a low boil.
17. Cook noodles until al dente, ~7 min with lid partially on.
18. Reduce heat to mild simmer and add 1/2 cup non-sweet white wine & continue to simmer on lowest setting.
19. Depending on liquid ratio (noodles will soak up quite a bit), you may want to add an extra can of chicken broth, (however, the soup should be really chunky with all of the shredded chicken & noodles).
20. Add salt & pepper to adjust to added liquid accordingly.
21. Toast thick sourdough bread slices, and serve warm with soup & for dipping.

Notes

http://www.dinnervine.com/2012/01/lemon-thyme-chicken-noodle/

from the kitchen of www.dinnervine.com