Auntie Flora's Chicken Soup

I like things to be simple.  I like even more that my chicken soup is simple.  This is a recipe for chicken soup given to me by my Auntie Flora who is 86 and going strong.  I use this recipe all the time for its simplicity and ease of cooking.  You see I am not a very good cook. 

Auntie Flora said that her mother gave her this recipe and her mother always told her not to add onions to the soup.  I don't add onions and I think that advice is just perfect.

Well here goes:  You require -

1kg of Chicken wings
2 Chicken frames
4 medium carrots (I grew mine)
4 sticks of celery
1 swede
1 parsnip
1 chicken stock cube
10 or 12 peppercorns
Salt to taste
Juice of one lemon
Chopped up parsley
Egg Noodles

Chop up all the vegetables to about the same size - about the vegetables you can use all of the above or use what you like.  Just make sure you include celery and carrot I sometimes include a turnip.

Put chopped vegetables in the bottom of a large pot (see photo).

Put in all the chicken on top of the vegetables.

Fill the pot with water until it covers all the ingredients.  Put the stock cube in and the peppercorns.

Bring the pot to the boil.  Skim off all the scum that rises during this process.  By skimming the pot you clarify the soup.  Putting the chicken on top of the vegetables makes this easier as you aren't rescuing too many veges from the skimmer.  Not only am I an ordinary cook I am also a lazy one.

Put about two dessertspoons of salt into pot.  This may sound a lot but you should have heaps of water in there to dilute it.  If you think this is too much just keep adding salt during the cooking process until it is at your desired level.

Simmer uncovered for at least an hour.

Now the fiddly part.   Let the soup cool for quite a while.  Fish out all the chicken and put the pieces in a bowl to cool further. 

When the chicken pieces are cool take all the meat from the bones and put back in the pot with the chicken broth.  I leave all the gristly bits off but I dont discard the skin.  I enjoy a bit of fat in my soup as I think it increases the flavour.

When you are ready to eat the soup bring the pot back to the boil and add the noodles.  Cook whatever type of noodle you are using for the time required on the packet.  I sometimes use tiny noodles which only take about 4 minutes to thicker noodle taking longer. 

I now add the lemon juice. 

Chicken cooking in large pot

Finished soup - delicious

Serve with chopped parsley sprinkled on top with a lovely bread and cheese.