2 chicken thighs
½ onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (or 12 baby carrots)
1 tbsp sherry (optional)
½ bag Trader Joes 10 minute farro or barley
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
2 tbsp parmesan

Bring a pot to medium heat and saute the chicken. Once skin is brown, peel it off and cook both sides till crisp, continuing to cook chicken thoroughly, ~10 minutes. Set chicken and skin aside, leaving chicken fat in pot.

Lower the temperature to medium low, add onion and carrots to fat and cook till soft and lightly brown. Add sherry to deglaze and cook till mostly evaporated. Add the farro or barley and stir to coat with oil thoroughly. Add parsley.

Add water to cover ingredients in pot. Shred chicken off bone and add chicken and bones to broth. Simmer for an hour. (Trick on boat: bring to boil, turn heat off, leave on burner 20 minutes, repeat. Saves propane).

Add lemon juice and heavy cream and stir to mix. Serve immediately with chicken cracklings and parmesan.

 

Note: Most chicken noodle soups call for celery but celery wilts fast so I never had it on board. By all means, use it if you have it, it definitely adds flavor.

 

Another note: you can use pretty much any grain or noodle you like here. Originally this was a solid chicken noodle soup recipe but I do like the grains better because they have more of a texture and flavor, but use whatever you have on hand or like.  Trader Joes has little bags that cook up very quickly.

 

And another note: I freely admit this soup would taste better if I had made a broth the day before with entire chicken carcasses simmering away for a day. It’s simply not an option on the boat, but I think this version tastes damn good given the compromises I’ve had to make. Enjoy!

 

And yet another note:  yes, I have sherry on board, a small bottle can last a year for just flavoring here and there and takes up no room on board.

 

And a final note: I love making this a few days after I bake bread or focaccia. Stale toasted bread makes awesome croutons for this soup.