Recipe: Amish Penicillin - Amish Corn and Chicken Soup with Rivels (Spaetzles)

AMISH CORN AND CHICKEN SOUP WITH RIVELS (SPAETZLES)

"This marvelous soup is truly "Amish penicillin."

FOR THE SOUP:
1 (4 to 5 lb.) roaster chicken (or you can use chicken pieces, i.e. legs, breasts, thighs)
1 medium onion, minced
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped small
4 quarts (16 cups) water (if you use chicken pieces, you might want to strengthen the broth flavor by adding chicken stock, or bouillon cubes or chicken base)
6+ cups of fresh, canned or frozen corn
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped into medium size pieces
generous pinch of saffron
A handful of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, combine the onion, celery, chicken, and cold water (or stock). Bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat to low and simmering until the chicken is ready to fall off the bones--an hour or so.

Remove chicken and let cool. Remove skin and cut the meat into pieces, discarding the bones. Skim the fat off the stock if you wish.

Place chicken pieces back into the soup. Add the corn, hard boiled eggs, saffron, and parsley; salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

FOR THE RIVELS:
In a bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 beaten eggs, blending until the mixture is crumbly (NOT SMOOTH).

Add to the soup by rubbing the mixture between your fingers over the pot of soup, dropping in small amounts bit by bit. You can make them in tiny 'strings'. They should NOT be big--that is a dumpling! Some people make them about the size of a pea or slightly larger. They do swell up some. Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes.