Homemade noodles + chicken soup

In the cold winter months, a cozy go-to soup recipe is an essential for any home cook. These simple homemade noodles, passed down from my great-grandmother, take a basic chicken noodle soup to pure comfort-food perfection. In my house, food is more than calories. It’s history. I come from a long line of family cooks, and I love the connection I feel to my ancestors when I make something that has been passed down from kitchen table to kitchen table for generations.

These noodles are one of those recipes. There are few meals I like better in the winter than a hot bowl of chicken soup with my great-grandmother’s homemade noodles.

I never knew her–a petite, fun-loving, Russian woman who took great pride in making sure her family was well-fed. But I learned the Reshatoffs’ saying about food: “Only too much is ever enough.” And, seriously, with these homemade noodles, you won’t be able to get enough.

Homemade Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bread flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 Tablespoons water
• Flour for rolling and dusting

Directions:

1. Place flour in medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the rest of the ingredients. With a fork, stir to combine until a ball of dough forms.
2. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth–about five minutes. Add a little water while kneading if necessary. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Cut the dough in half. Roll out one half into a rectangle (about 14″ x 8″), not quite paper thin. Be patient with this part. It takes a while to really get the dough to flatten and spread out. Make sure that you flour your work surface, the dough, and your rolling pin, so the dough doesn’t stick.
4. Transfer your rectangle to a tea towel and repeat with the remaining dough. Allow rolled out dough to stand for at least 30 minutes (so it will dry out a bit), or heat slightly on a flat, ungreased griddle.
5. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut noodles as desired, thin or thick (I usually do somewhere between 1/4″ and 1/2″). Cook in simmering water or broth for 5-7 minutes, or add to your favorite chicken soup recipe (see mine below!) for the last 7 minutes of cooking time.

Source: My great-grandmother, Mary Reshatoff

Keep reading below to see my favorite simple soup to add the noodles to!

My Favorite (SIMPLE!) Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in dutch oven pot on medium high. Add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, stirring to prevent burning, until onions are translucent.
2. Add chicken. Cook through.
3. Add broth, .water, carrots, and celery. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add parsley, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
5. When you’re satisfied with the flavors, add your homemade noodles from above (or store-bought egg noodles if you don’t have time), and cook until noodles are tender, about 5-7 minutes.

See, super easy. You can’t go wrong. And it’s infinitely better than anything you can buy ready-made in the store. I actually don’t think I’ve had canned soup in over a decade because of these simple recipes. ENJOY!

This recipe was featured on the Weekly Meal Plans at Making Motherhood Matter.