Chicken And Noodle Soup With Vegetables

-JUDI M. PHELPS 1 5-6 lb chicken OR

1 lb Chicken gizzards

2 lb Chicken backs and

1 lb Legs and thighs

3 qt Water

1 Onion stuck with 2 cloves

1 Leek

1 Carrot

-- salt 10 Peppercorns

1/2 c Onion -- finely chopped

1/2 c Carrots -- finely diced

1/2 c Green beans -- finely cut

4 oz Egg noodles

1 c Frozen or fresh peas

Parsley -- chopped

Place the whole chicken or the chicken pieces in a heavy 6-quart kettle with the water, onion stuck with cloves, leek, carrot, 1 tablespoon salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that forms on top. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Correct the seasoning. If you are using chicken parts, cook until they are tender 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the chicken, skim excess fat from the broth, and then remove the vegetables. (If you are not serving the soup till the next day, it will be easier to remove the fat if the broth is cooled and then chilled.) Pour the broth into a container, wash out the kettle, and then return the broth to it. Add the cut vegetables, the meat from the legs and thighs cut into small dice, and the gizzards thinly sliced. Bring to a boil again and cook just until the vegetables begin to tenderize and are pleasantly firm. Add the noodles (increase the amount if you like a very thick soup) and peas, and boil for 5 to 9 minutes or until they are cooked. Serve in heated soup plates or bowls and sprinkle with some chopped parsley. This deliciously filling soup is ideal for a Sunday supper, accompanied by buttered toast or hot rolls, perhaps followed by a salad or some excellent cheese and a bottle of red wine. Note: Other vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage, and zucchini, as well as mushrooms, may be added to the soup during the final cooking. Source: James Beard's American Cookery. Shared and MM by Judi M. Phelps. jphelps@shell.portal.com or jphelps@best.com