Best Chicken Noodle Soup

1. In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven combine chicken, onion, salt, dried thyme, pepper, bay leaves, and garlic. Pour the water over all. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is very tender.

2. Remove chicken from broth, discarding backbone. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones. Discard bones and skin. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; set aside. Discard bay leaves. Skim fat from broth.

3. Bring broth to boiling. Stir in carrots and celery. Simmer, covered, for 7 minutes. Add Homemade Egg Noodles, stirring to combine. Simmer, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes more or until noodles are tender. Stir in chicken pieces and, if desired, fresh thyme; heat through.

Homemade Egg Noodles

1. In a large bowl stir together 1 3/4 cups of the flour and the salt. Using the back of a spoon, make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a small bowl combine egg yolks, whole egg, the water, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until mixture forms dough.

2. Sprinkle a clean kneading surface with the remaining 1/4 cup flour. Turn out dough onto the floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total kneading time). Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into four equal portions.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a 12-inch square (about 1/16 inch thick). Lightly dust both sides of the dough square with additional flour. Let stand, uncovered, about 20 minutes. (Or using a pasta machine, pass each dough portion through machine according to manufacturer's directions until dough is 1/16 inch thick, dusting dough with flour as needed. Let stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes.) Loosely roll dough square into a spiral; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Unroll strips to separate; cut strips into 2- to 3-inch-long pieces. Cook noodle pieces in a large amount of boiling lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender; drain well. (Or place noodle pieces in a resealable plastic bag or an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before cooking.)

Food Processor Directions

Place steel blade in food processor. Add all of the flour, salt, and eggs to food processor. Cover and process until mixture forms fine crumbs, about the consistency of cornmeal. With the food processor running, slowly pour the water and oil through the feed tube. Continue processing just until the dough forms a ball. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Cover; let dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Continue as directed in Step 3.

Drying Directions

To dry cut noodles, spread noodles on a wire rack or hang them from a pasta-drying rack or clothes hanger. Let pasta dry for up to 2 hours. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before cooking. Or dry the noodles for at least 1 hour; place them in a plastic freezer bag or freezer container. Seal and freeze for up to 8 months before cooking. Add 1 to 2 minutes to cooking time for dried or frozen noodles.

Prepare Homemade Egg Noodles as directed through Step 2. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in airtight freezer container; seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator; continue with Step 3.