Chicken Noodle Soup

[lubby]

I take the leftover carcus from an already cooked roasted chicken but I take some of the fat off because i do not like my soup greasy. 2 cups canned chicken stock and 3 cups water, I also add some white and dark meat that I have chopped, 1 large onion diced, 3 large carrots peeled and diced, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp dry basil or 4 fresh basil leaves chopped. 1/2 tsp kosher salt.1 can corn. I cook the soup for about 2hrs or util the meat falls off the carcus and I strain out any bones and grizzle. I know fat is flavor but I don't like my soup too fatty. I add 2 cups cooked white or brown rice at the very end.

[Bunjee]

Do what others are suggesting, except stick the bones in a crock pot and let it go overnight to a rich brown. Turn it off in the morning and let it cool, then bring it up to a simmer again when you start cooking in the afternoon or evening, before straining. 100% flavor extraction.

[Wilson513]

Thanks all, the soup is underway and looks great.

[Cavaturaccioli]

Reduce your chicken stock by 50% before adding it to the pot; that concentrates the flavor.

[Woof]

Originally Posted by Emeraldmaiden

One trick that I sometimes use (when I'm not being lazy, that is), is to roast the bones until they're a bit browned. This adds a lot of flavor to your broth. Also, break the longer bones when you add them to the broth, to get everything you can out of them.

Also if the flavor is fine but the consistency is a bit thin for your taste, it's not cheating to add a little cornstarch paste or a white (fried only a bit) roux.

I think it's more common to brown beef bones for stock or soup, but it works for poultry too if not overdone.

EDIT to add: sometimes I'm a minimalist and make chicken stock/soup with only chicken, salt, and water. You'd be surprised to find it tastes better than most seasoning with veggie combos! So in this case, I would strip off the breast and thigh meat from a whole broiler chicken, preferably a true free-range if you can afford it (stronger flavor), and refrigerate it. The bones would be simmered in water for a minimum of 5 hours, or overnight if you have a hood to remove the odor from blanketing your house. Strain, reduce it if it's way too thin, then cook noodles until just soft. Add a ton of salt, then chop the chicken meat small and stir it in. Turn off the heat and wait 5 minutes for the chicken chunks to cook (it tastes better when not boiled).

[netwit]

Mennonite chicken noodle soup doesn't contain vegetables but always had star anise. It is the most wonderful scent in the world.

[Emeraldmaiden]

Originally Posted by Woof

Also if the flavor is fine but the consistency is a bit thin for your taste, it's not cheating to add a little cornstarch paste or a white (fried only a bit) roux.

I think it's more common to brown beef bones for stock or soup, but it works for poultry too if not overdone.

Agreed. You do have to watch your bones to make sure they don't burn! Burnt bones do NOT have the flavor I suspect the OP is looking for.

[Woof]

I've never tried star anise in cooking except for 5 spice blend many years ago, netwit. I'll have to try it ..... I know it's huge in Chinese cooking.

During the bird and swine flu scares, several of us on related forums were trying to think of natural alternatives in case conventional treatments for viruses ran out ..... we found out that Tamiflu was derived from star anise, and so thought it might be good for influenzas.

[netwit]

Originally Posted by Woof

I've never tried star anise in cooking except for 5 spice blend many years ago, netwit. I'll have to try it ..... I know it's huge in Chinese cooking.

During the bird and swine flu scares, several of us on related forums were trying to think of natural alternatives in case conventional treatments for viruses ran out ..... we found out that Tamiflu was derived from star anise, and so thought it might be good for influenzas.

If you do try it, then remember to use whole star anise - it can't be the ground stuff for soup.