Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

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Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Nut-Free

Skill Level: Beginner

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Equipment Needed:

• Cutting board 

• Chef's knife 

• Dutch oven or stock pot

• Wooden spoon or rubber/silicone spatula

• Ladle, for serving

The Recipe:

This recipe was inspired by an America's Test Kitchen recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, minced

• 1-2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into a small dice

• 1 rib celery, cut into a small dice

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced (or you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried ground thyme)

• 1 bay leaf

• 12 cups chicken broth

• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken

• 8 ounces wide egg noodles

• 1/4 cup minced fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.

2. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened (3-4 minutes).

3. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.

4. Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, broth, and chicken. Turn up the heat slightly and allow the mixture to come to a simmer (not a full boil); this could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your pan, the starting temperature of your broth, etc.

5. Once your soup has come to a simmer, allow it to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. If it starts to really boil, reduce the heat.

6. Stir in the egg noodles and cook until they are just barely tender; this should only take 5-6 minutes. They will continue to cook a little after your soup is done, so you don't want to let them get super soft or they will become mushy with the residual heat.

7. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste, and continue to adjust the salt and pepper until you are satisfied with the taste.

To Serve:  Ladle soup into individual bowls. We love to crumble Ritz crackers into our chicken noodle soup for some additional flavor and texture. I also often serve soup with a breadstick or some type of bread.

Adjusting for your diet: If you're trying to cut down on carbs, you could reduce the amount of noodles or omit the noodles all together. I also think you could make this into a vegetable noodle soup by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth and omitting the chicken.

Tips:

• I usually use yellow onions in a recipe like this, but if you had a white or red onion on hand I think you could substitute it without it affecting the flavor too much.

• It's not necessary to peel the carrots as long as you scrub them to remove any dirt.

• If you love vegetables, or are just looking to add more veggies to your kids' bowls, this soup is a great way to do it! Some veggies that would work well to add would be parsnips or bell peppers (dice small and add at the same time as the carrots), frozen peas or corn (add when you add the broth), or even a frozen vegetable medley or stir fry blend (add when you add the broth).

• I use fresh thyme when my plant is doing well, but I have made this recipe many times with dried ground thyme as well and I think it turns out great!

• What is the difference between chicken broth and chicken stock? Traditionally, chicken broth is made using the meat from the chicken, while stock is made from the clean bones of the chicken. Both are made using vegetables and aromatics (thyme, bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns, etc.). In general, you will see stocks more commonly used in sauces and gravies, and broths in soups. I have used both broth and stock in this recipe and have not noticed a big difference in flavor, so use what you have on hand but be sure to taste and adjust at the end ;)

• I love making my own chicken or turkey broth using the carcass of a roast turkey or chicken! Simply add the carcass to a crockpot (or a large pot on the stove), then add a few vegetable chunks such as onion, carrot, and celery (a great use for celery and carrot tops you might otherwise throw or compost). Add in some aromatics such as sprigs of parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, or whatever you have on hand. Cover everything with water, then set on low for the whole day. At the end of the day, turn it off, allow it to cool slightly, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. I like to measure out 2-cup portions of my homemade broth and pour them into quart-sized freezer bags, then lay flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer until they are frozen. They can then be stored flat or standing upright in the freezer until I need them. The result is delicious, especially in soups like this one!

Getting my crockpot ready to make broth just after Thanksgiving

• This is a GREAT way to use up leftover roast chicken; you could also poach a couple of chicken breasts or even use a store-bought rotisserie chicken if you really want to make your life easy. I also like to make this recipe using leftover roast turkey after Thanksgiving!

• You could simply shred the chicken for your soup, but I like to shred it and then chop it into smaller pieces.

• Egg noodles are the traditional noodle for this soup, but if you want to try to use a different type of noodle you have on hand, I say go for it. If you can get your hands on little star-shaped pasta or alphabet-shaped pasta, these would be fun options for kids! You might have to adjust the cooking time of the noodles, so be sure to taste one before you remove the pan from the heat.

• If you are using the egg noodles, the same rule applies: at 5 minutes, remove a noodle from the soup and taste it; as mentioned in the recipe the noodle should be just barely al dente (cooked, but still have bite and almost taste underdone). The noodles will continue to absorb the broth and cook a bit after your remove them from the heat.

• Be sure to use flat-leaf Italian parsley and not the curly stuff (that pretty-but-flavorless green really only belongs next to your fried eggs as a garnish). If you do not have fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, I would advise to omit it all together vs. substituting dried parsley; I have made this soup without it and it tasted just fine! It does add a pleasant freshness to the soup, so if you're able to add it I do recommend it.

• The fresh lemon juice brightens up all of your flavors; do not substitute bottled lemon juice here. If you do not have fresh lemon juice, you could omit it all together or experiment with adding another type of acid such as white wine vinegar or cider vinegar.

The Story:

As my celebration of National Soup Month has progressed, I think it's safe to say that my family is getting a teeny bit tired of soup :) BUT this soup is requested regularly by my daughter, even in the summer! So when she saw it on the menu for the week, she was pumped.

This soup recipe has everything going for it: it's so incredibly easy, flavorful, FAST, and leagues better than canned chicken noodle soup. Chicken is also a great source of lean protein and amino acids, which help build muscle tissue in our bodies. I love that there's a bit of hands-off time while this soup simmers, so I can get the table set, pop biscuits into the oven, or do a few of the dishes before dinner. And speaking of doing the dishes, another thing I love is that you only have to use one pan-what could be better! It also reheats really well, so after you enjoy it for dinner you can enjoy it for lunch for a few days.

Let me know if you tried making this soup, and what you think!

Happy tasting!