Chicken Soup with Spaetzel

To make the stock, add the first 8 ingredients to a 6 qt stock pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water, about 5 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, loosely cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 4 hours. Remove from heat. In the winter, I’ll put the pot outside until the fat rises to the top. Skim off the fat. Strain the broth into a large bowl and set the broth aside.

For the soup, heat olive oil in the Dutch oven or stock pot, add the chicken pieces and saute until no longer pink. Add the carrots, onion, celery and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir and let cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock, bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar. At this point, I always taste the broth and add a spoonful of “Better than Bouillon” Chicken Soup Base if it needs a richer chicken flavor. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, water and beaten egg. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until combined. Bring the soup to a boil and drop the batter by 1/2 teaspoonfuls into the soup. After all the batter is added, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with a good loaf of crusty bread.