Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup

There's an artic blast happening, which definitely calls for soup

Time: 40 Minutes

Serving Size: 6-8 Servings

Allergy Notes: Dairy Free*, Gluten Free, Nut Free

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So, you may be asking yourself, "Self? Where the hell has Allison been?" Well my lovely readers, if I'm being completely honest, I got busy and dropped the ball, but that happens with life. Between prepping for the North Carolina State Fair's Cheesecake competition (recipe coming soon), the election (say less), the holidays, and the absolutely insane weather events happening across the country, I kind of forgot about my little old blog. BUT, that being said, one of my goals this year is to devote more time and energy into this thing.

I have lots of recipes I've been testing and we're starting things off strong with this Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup; a play on heart-warming classic chicken noodle mixed with a Greek creamy lemon, chicken, and egg soup called avgolemono. Growing up, my Grandma Sharon's "noodles" as well called them, was one of my favorite things. Every time we went to visit in Kansas, this was one of the dishes I would request. It didn't matter if it was literally the 4th of July, I wanted a big ol' bowl of her homemade chicken and dumpling noodles. I'd like the think grandma would be proud of this modern take on a childhood favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 large Chicken Breasts (or whatever chicken is on sale in this economy and that includes precooked chicken because sometimes we need convenience. If I have the time, I like to use a whole chicken because you get both light and dark meat, the bones to make stock, and the skin to render the fat and get crispy chicken skins. It's more work, but you get way more bang for your buck.)

• 64 oz of Chicken Broth either homemade or store bought

• 1 12 oz bag of Gluten Free Egg Noodles. Our favorite

• 1/2 White Onion, diced

• 2 Carrots, diced

• 2 Celery Stalks, diced and leaves reserved if available for garnish

• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced

• 2 Bay Leaves

• 1 Egg

• 3 tbsp Lemon Juice

• 1/2 small bunch of fresh Dill (if using dried, 1 tsp)

• 1 tsp White Pepper

• Salt to taste

• Neutral Oil or Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat)

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Directions

The strings in question.

1. Wash and dry your produce.

2. Prep your veggies:

   1. Dice the onion.

   2. Peel and dice the carrots.

   3. Take the strings off and dice the celery. If you don't know what I mean by "taking the strings off" buckle up for story time. Celery is a very fibrous vegetable that has "strings" on the outer layer. My grandma would always remind us to "take the strings off" the celery before you dice it because it's less chewy. The easiest way to remove the strings is to use a paring knife to take a tiny piece from the end of the stalk and peel away, bringing the string with you. Do this all the way around and on both ends.

   4. Julienne the celery leaves and chop the dill, set aside in a small bowl. If using dried dill, add during the next step.

   5. Mince the garlic

3. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil or schmaltz to the pan and swirl to coat.

4. Add in onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, salt, and white pepper, and cook, stirring regularly until onions begin to become translucent, about 5 minutes.

5. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or until garlic become fragrant, stirring often.

6. Add the broth and stir to combine.

7. If using uncooked chicken, add to the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken, shred, and set aside. If using cooked pre-cooked chicken, add in with the noodles.

8. Remove the bay leaves.

9. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions.

10. Once the noodles are cooked, add back in the chicken and any accumulated juices.

11. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and the egg before adding 2-ladles-full of broth, whisking to fully combine. The key is to temper the eggs with the broth so we don't end up with scrambled eggs. Once fully combined, add to the pot with everything else and check for seasoning.

12. Portion into bowls and generously top each with the reserved celery leaves and dill. Pro-tip, use the crispy chicken skins from creating the schmaltz as a nice crunchy garnish.

    
    

The legend herself- Grandma Sharon