Santa María’s Chicken Soup with Noodles

I loved the brothy soup with pilaf-style noodles (you brown them in hot oil before cooking them in the broth) that I grew up with in northern Mexico. So I was delighted to find a closely related dish from the Huasteca region of northeastern Veracruz. Santa María de Guadalupe Armenta Guzmán — “Lupita” among friends, Santa María on formal occasions — tells me that this soup is a special ceremonial dish often served at wakes or prayer vigils among local ranch families. Lupita suggests serving