Grandma's Homemade Chicken Soup With Parmesan Croutons
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: French
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8-10
 
First you want to make your homemade chicken stock, next you make the soup, and while the soup is cooking, make your noodles, and croutons.
Ingredients
  • Fond de Volaille (chicken stock)
  • 5 lbs. chicken carcasses/bones
  • Cold water
  • 1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled, and sliced
  • 2 large stalks of celery, washed, and roughly chopped
  • Bouquet Garni (parsley stems, sprigs of thyme, bay leaf)
  • Chicken Soup with Noodles
  • 8-10 cups chicken stock (or enough stock to cover chicken)
  • 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick on the bias
  • 4 celery stalks, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick on the bias
  • 3 medium leeks, white part only, sliced ½ inch thick on the bias, and swirled in cold water to clean
  • Bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf, a few parsley sprigs, a few thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly pressed
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup dried ditalini or other small macaroni type pasta
  • 3 TB unsalted butter, optional
  • 1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
  • 1 TB chopped fresh tarragon
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Fond de Volaille (chicken stock)
  2. Rinse the chicken carcasses under cold water and remove excessive fat. Place in stockpot, shake to settle the bones, and barely cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer slowly. Skim the scum, Add remainder of the ingredients and continue to cook at a bare simmer for no more than 3 hours. Skim the scum occasionally. Strain, cool down in an ice bath, and either refrigerate or freeze. Note: When completed sock is cooled down, all fat will rise to the surface and can then easily be removed.
  3. Chicken Soup with Noodles:
  4. Place the chicken breast side down in a large deep soup pot. Add the stock and 1 TB kosher salt (if stock is unsalted). Bring to a boil and skim the surface. Lower the heat to simmer and add the carrots, celery, leeks, bouquet garni, and garlic, and season with pepper. Simmer the chicken for 15 minutes, turn it over and continue to simmer until cooked through, about 25 minutes more.
  5. In the meantime, put a medium pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. When it comes to a rapid boil, add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside. To prepare croutons, in a skillet saute garlic in olive oil over moderately high heat until golden and discard with a slotted spoon. In garlic-flavored oil fry the bread, seasoned with salt, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides. Remove skillet from heat and add Parmesan, tossing croutons to coat well.
  6. Lift the chicken out of the pot, and allow to cool. Taste the vegetables and if they are not tender, continue to simmer. When vegetables are done, turn off the heat, Remove the bouquet garni and garlic. When chicken is cool enough to handle pull the mat off the bones and shred into medium pieces. Whisk the butter into the soup, and add lemon juice and seasonings as desired. Add the chopped tarragon and parsley, pasta, and shredded chicken.
  7. Serve soup sprinkled with croutons.
Recipe by A Day in the Bite at https://www.adayinthebite.com/chicken-noodle-soup-with-parmesan-croutons/