Dolly's Chicken Soup

I have made this often, and everyone says it's the best chicken soup they've ever tasted, so I thought I'd share it with this group.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 lbs to 2 1/2 lbs of chicken thighs (not backs attached)
• 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of Brita water
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 2 onions
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. of thyme (used ground)
• 4 or more stalks of celery
• 6 or more carrots
• medium egg noodles or 2 or 3 medium potatoes (red potatoes are best in soup)

Directions:

Originally made Dec 2000 have added to it since then. I remove the skin from the chicken before cooking, so fat is almost nil. Cooked a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes. I leave chicken in all that time, but took out at end and separated from bone and gristle), then added only parts of cooked chicken back to soup to serve).

Cook the chicken in the water with the garlic, onions, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and thyme.

I add the celery after one hour.

I add the carrots after 1 hour and 40 minutes of cooking time (didn't add till one hour and 50 minutes after start the one time and it was fine.

I added the egg noodles after 2 hours and 15 minutes of cooking time, if you prefer, use potatoes. I used about 3 big baking potatoes and put them in around ten minutes after carrots (both in big pieces). Of course you can cut them smaller; just adjust cooking time. Don't forget to remove the bay leaves, before serving!

Source: My own recipe.

By Hazel Wilson