“My grandchildren love this recipe because of the little pasta balls and the homemade chicken broth. It's always a winner,” says Suzanne Somers of this soup her grandchildren named after their nickname for her, “Zannie."
Broth:
1 whole chicken or a meaty chicken carcass
2 medium onions, halved
5 celery stalks, roughly chopped
5 carrots, roughly chopped
Stems from 1 bunch parsley
A handful of black peppercorns (about 25)
Soup:
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 box Acini di Pepe De Cecco Pasta (small pasta balls)
Shredded or chopped chicken pieces (optional)
Chopped parsley
To make the broth:
1. Place all ingredients into a large stockpot. Fill with water to cover by about 2 inches. Heat on high until it just boils, then lower heat and simmer for about 4 hours.
2. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables. If starting with a chicken carcass, discard the carcass. If starting with a whole chicken, reserve the chicken.
3. Pick meat off cooked chicken and shred or chop into bite-size pieces. Be careful to remove any bones, skin, fat, tendons, or cartilage. Discard bones.
4. Place the broth into a container and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. When broth is chilled, skim off any fat that has risen to the top.
To make the soup:
1. Boil pasta in water, according to package instructions. Heat broth. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place cooked pasta balls into soup bowls. Add shredded chicken pieces. Ladle hot broth over pasta and chicken. Garnish with parsley.
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