Hearty Puerto Rican Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of cut up chicken (according to your preference: whole cut up, thighs, legs or cut up breast)
• 4 to 5 Table Spoons of Vegetable oil
• 2 Heaping Tablespoons of Sofrito 
• 1/2 Chopped Onions
• 1 Tablespoon of Alcaparrado including one tablespoon of the liquid in the jar
• 3 to 4 Stalks of Chopped up Celery
• 1/3 of a bag of Baby Carrots
• 1/2 Cup of Corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1 or 2 Chopped Potatoes (optional)
• 4 to 6 Balls of Fideos (aka coiled vermicelli)  It typically comes in a bag in the Latino section of your grocery store. Add less for watery soup.
• 2 Packets Chicken Bullion Packets (Goya Preferred)
• 1 Packet of Sazon
• 1/3 of the can of Goya tomato paste
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 9 Cups of Water

In a large pot, put in the vegetable oil, sofrito, onions, sazon, chicken bullion, alcaparaado (and liquid) and let the ingredients cook together for about 5 to 7 minutes.  Put in the cut up chicken and cook in the seasonings until you see the chicken is fully cooked.  The flavors will cook into the chicken.  

Once you see the chicken is cooked, add in the tomato paste, potatoes, and baby carrots.  Stir the chicken and the ingredients together.  Add in about 9 cups of water (feel it out depending if you want it more or less soupy.)  Then add in the "fideos" also knows as the coiled vermicelli.  Stir all ingredients together and cook on high for at least an hour.  Then add the celery and corn.  Stir occasionally.  After an hour, I prefer to put on low and cook for another hour but if you have to rush, give it another half an hour on high.     

You are welcome to add some hot sauce to your individual bowl of soup to add an extra kick.  I love Frank's Red Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce.