CHICKEN-NOODLE SOUP

SOUP

• Broth from cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 8 large cloves minced garlic
• 8-ounces frozen greens, such as turnip or collards
• 2 cups reserved chicken
• 4-ounces uncooked wide noodles
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (optional)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

For the broth: Heat the olive oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic cloves, bay leaf, broth, salt and pepper to taste. Add water as needed to nearly cover the chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is very tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove chicken from pot; cool until easy to handle. Pull meat off bones; discard skin and bones. Reserve about 2 cups of shredded chicken for soup, the remainder for other recipes. Remove the vegetables from the broth; skim off the fat. Taste broth for seasoning.

For the soup: Bring the broth to a boil. Add the minced garlic and frozen greens; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes depending on the type of greens used. Stir in the noodles and optional corn. Bring back to a boil, then cover, reduce heat again, and cook until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and heat about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, or keep hot over very low heat. Pass the grated cheese.

Notes: Using canned broth as a base for the homemade broth is not necessary, but serves to intensify the flavor, as does browning the chicken. For a thicker soup, add more chicken, greens and/or noodles. If the soup appears too thick, add less noodles or add a little more water, being careful not to add so much as to dilute the flavor. Taste again for seasonings. Since the meat of one-half chicken is sufficient for this recipe and many others, I often buy whole chickens, cut them in half and freeze until needed. Cut-up chicken parts could also be used.