Homemade chicken-corn soup is a staple in Amish kitchens, especially, it seems, in Pennsylvania. I think the traditional probably began because the soup is hearty and contains just very basic ingredients. This recipe of the Amish Cook’s appeared in the column way back in 2003. Enjoy!
CHICKEN CORN SOUP
1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2-12 to 3 quarts water, or as needed
1 large onion
8 to 10 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
10 ears of corn, (or 4 cups frozen corn kernels)
3 celery stalks, diced with leaves
6 ounces wide egg noodles (or use your own homemade equivalent)
Freshly ground white pepper
23 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken in soup pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and skim foam as it rises to the surface. When it has subsided, add onion, peppercorns and salt. Simmer gently but steadily, partly covered, for about 1-12 hours or until tender.
Remove chicken. Trim and discard bones and skin, and onion. Let soup cool, then skim fat from surface. Tear meat into spoonable pieces and return to soup.
Cut kernels from 4 ears of corn, then grate kernels from remaining 6 ears. Add whole kernels and grated or pureed corn to soup along with celery and noodles. Simmer gently until corn and noodles are cooked. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Stir in parsley and serve, garnishing each portion with chopped egg.
(This soup freezes well, but do that before adding the noodles).
Yield: 4 to 6 bowls of soup
