Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

Growing up, my mom would regularly make meals that were so yummy we'd all ask her to make it again.  She'd then shrug her shoulders and tell us that she just made it up and didn't write down the recipe, so the odds of duplicating it exactly as we'd had it that night were slim.  It became a running joke in the family to ask her if she'd remembered to write down the recipe, or at least all the ingredients, when we'd sit down to a dish we'd never had before.  One of the meals we had many times growing up, and that my mom did have a recipe for, was chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles.  We knew if we saw a whole chicken going into the pot that chicken noodle soup was on the menu.  My family loved (and still loves) it, especially in the fall and winter or when we were sick.  There is just something about the homemade stuff that can't be poured out of a can.

Now when I make this soup for my family, I substitute a rotisserie chicken from Costco for simplicity's sake, but I always make the egg noodles from scratch.  I don't have any experience making other types of noodles and I don't have a fancy noodle attachment for my KitchenAid (yet), but these are pretty simple to make and don't take much time, so don't be nervous to try this out for yourself.

Here's what you need for the noodles:

To start out, beat the eggs with a fork.  Then add the milk and beat it together with the eggs.  Next, add the salt (optional) and the flour and stir.   (I think it's easier to just use the fork to mix it all together rather than a spatula or spoon.)

The amount of flour you'll need varies a little bit so I generally mix the first two cups in, then add the third cup.  You will likely find it necessary to use your hands to knead in the last cup of flour completely.  You don't need to work it too much--just until most of the flour is incorporated.
*Note: I have used wheat flour, as well as half wheat and half white.  If you do this, the amount needed will be a little less than listed.

What the dough looks like after 2 cups of flour

Once your flour is kneaded in, sprinkle another 1/2 cup or so on a clean counter.  Put your dough in the middle and flip it over so both sides are floured. I gently pat off any extra flour and make sure to move the flour around on the counter so that it replaces the flour that just got on the dough.  This is important to do as it will help prevent sticking which makes it easier to remove the noodles when you're ready to add them to the soup.

From here, you use your rolling pin to roll it out to about an 1/8" thick.  I periodically check to make sure the dough isn't sticking and add a little more flour as needed.

After you've got it rolled out, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough vertically into 1/4-1/2" strips.  Then cut them horizontally into shorter strips, about 6" long.

Now you just need to leave the dough to dry out.  I recommend a minimum of 2 hours, but 3-4 is better.  The time it takes for the noodles to dry out is dependent on how thick they are and how hot it is in your house.  You can check the noodles dryness by touching it and pulling on it a little.  If it's stretchy, then it's not dry enough.  We're not trying to completely dry the noodles out, but just enough so that they aren't a sticky mess when you add them to the broth.

At some point, you'll need to get your chicken ready.  If you use a rotisserie like me, just cut off portions and either cut or tear it into pieces.  You could use cooked chicken breasts and do a rough chop.  Or you can use a whole cooked chicken like my mom does.  (If you do this last option, keep the water/broth as your base for the soup.)

To make the broth, you can use canned or boxed broth, or make your own using bouillon.  I generally use between 6-8 cups of broth, which feeds my family of four, plus enough for 1-2 servings for lunch the next day.  (It is partly a preference thing as well.  My family likes a little less broth and more noodles and chicken so I lean more towards 6 cups.)

Bring the broth to a boil and using a spatula, like the kind for flipping pancakes, loosen the noodles from the counter.  If you used enough flour, they should come up pretty easily.

Drop the noodles in one by one to prevent them sticking to each other.  I put the noodles in first and let them cook for 10-15 minutes before adding the chicken, then I let it go for another 5-10 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through.  You can check the doneness by taking one out and cutting it to see if the middle is wet or dry, or you can take a bite and see if you like the texture.  Add salt, pepper and onion salt to your broth if you would like.  (I find that if I add salt to the noodles, I don't need to add it to the broth.)

5 minutes after adding noodles to the broth

*Note: I generally don't end up using all the noodles but if I made closer to 8 cups of broth, then I would.  Again, it's just a preference at this point.

Finally, ladle it into bowls, serve hot and let it warm you up from the inside out!  I like to add a little bit of Cajun seasoning called 'Slap Ya Mama'.  It's adds just a little bit of a kick and is SO good.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
• 3 1/2 c. flour
• 3-4 c. cooked chicken breasts or rotisserie, cut or shred into pieces
• 6-8 c. chicken broth
• salt, pepper, onion salt (to taste)

Directions:

1.  Beat the eggs with a fork.  Then add the milk and beat it together with the eggs.  Next, add the salt and 2 cups of flour and stir.
2.  Knead in 1 cup flour until combined.
3. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour on clean counter and place dough in the middle. Turn over so both sides have flour on them.
4. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/8" thick.  Cut vertically into 1/4-1/2" wide strips then cut horizontally into 6" long strips. (I use a pizza cutter to do this.)
5. Let dry for at least 2 hours, but 3-4 is better.
6. Cut or shred chicken into pieces.
7. Bring 6-8 cups of broth to boil.
8. Add dried noodles one at a time and let cook for 10-15 minutes.
9. Add chicken, salt, pepper and onion salt.
10. Let cook for another 5-10 minutes or until noodles are cooked through.
11. Enjoy!

*Note: The recipe can easily be halved or doubled to suit your needs.