Hungarian Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup

HÚSLEVES

1/2 to Whole Chicken cut into 6 or 11 Pieces (2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 1 back, Breast quartered)

6 Quarts Water

1 Onion

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Green Bell Pepper, whole cored

4 Carrots, halved and quartered

6 Stalks Celery, halved and quartered

1/2 Bunch Italian Parsley bouquet

2 Red Potatoes, whole/peeled

3 Tablespoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Whole Black Pepper Corns

1.     Fill stock pot with 6 quarts water, add chicken and bring pot to a slow boil, reducing to simmer and cook chicken for approximately 20 minutes skimming foam from surface of water as it develops.

2.    Add onion, garlic, green pepper, celery, carrots, parsley bouquet, bouillons, salt and pepper corns.

3.    Simmer soup approximately 20 minutes, skimming any foam that forms on surface to maintain a clear golden yellow broth.

4.    Add potatoes and simmer long enough for potatoes to soften, 10 or 15 minutes.

5.    Pour broth through a Strain/sieve into clean pot

6.    Carefully transfer carrots, chicken pieces and potatoes to clear broth.

7.    I discard pepper, onion, garlic, celery, parsley bouquet and pepper corns but this is a personal taste issue. Keep and add back in whatever is preferred.

Chicken Soup Noodles

1.     Bring pot of water to boil

2.    Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 tablespoon oil to water

3.    When water is boiling, add noodles to water and stir to separate noodles.

4.    Cook noodles according to package instructions

5.    Strain in sieve and rinse through with cold water to cool noodles completely.

6.    Serve noodles separately in glass bowl and add to each soup bowl when serving.

Note: my favorite purchased noodles for chicken soup is by Bende and it is their Extra Fine Cérnametélt. I have bought it at Mattern's German deli in the city of Orange and also direct from Bende online.