CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

On a cold winters day, or when I’m feeling a little under the weather…there’s nothing I love more than a big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. There’s nothing like it, right? I mean, I can’t be the only one here who hates the canned stuff? Okay, okay I don’t hate it. But I don’t love it. The canned soup just isn’t the same as homemade. And that’s a fact.


This is a big pot of soup. So how should you store it if not eaten immediately? This is how I like to do it:

Who likes to put in the time to cook when they’re sick? Not me. I also don’t want crummy takeout or canned soup when I’m not feeling my best. I want something homemade. So let me let you in on a little secret: I freeze my soup in individual serving containers… but I leave the noodles out. It’s not a good idea to freeze noodles. They just become soggy and gross. They’ll also become soggy in the fridge after swimming in that broth over a couple days. So instead, I store the noodles separately in the fridge….or I’ll make fresh noodles the day I decide to thaw out a frozen soup serving. This way, the noodles are fresh and perfect in texture. Problem solved!

The soup will stay good in the freezer for 4-6 months. Which means September is the perfect time to make and freeze a big batch!


My homemade soup is pretty simple. Chicken noodle isn’t a very complicated soup, just time consuming. First, I start off by deconstructing a whole chicken. I love a mix of dark and white meat. I leave the skin on and bones in. It makes for a richer broth. I boil it in a big pot of chicken broth instead of water. Why? More flavor. Then I let it cool and shred it by hand. Next comes the vegetables and herbs and a little chicken base. Like I said, it’s time consuming but easy.



PRODUCTS I LOVE:


CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP


Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 8-10 servings


INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb. medium sized egg noodles, cooked according to package instructions
  • 1.5-2 lb whole chicken, deconstructed
  • 6 lbs chicken broth (3 – 32 oz. boxes)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced small
  • 3 carrots, cut into rounds
  • 1/2 yellow onion, small dice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp butter, salted
  • 1.5 tbsp better than bouillon chicken base
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp rubbed sage
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, small chop

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place the chicken pieces, thyme and broth in a large pot. Bring to a soft boil and then turn to the lowest setting and cover with a lid. Simmer for 30 minutes and then turn off heat. Let chicken cool for 30 minutes to an hour (or until it is cool enough to handle).
  2. Shred chicken and discard the skin and bones. Place in a separate bowl.
  3. Skim the top of the chicken broth for any floating pieces and the sprigs of thyme. Discard.
  4. In a separate large pot place the butter, carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook on low for a few minutes until aromatic.
  5. Add in broth, salt, pepper, sage and parsley. Bring to a soft boil and cook till carrots and celery are soft. About 10-15 minutes.
  6. Add in chicken and turn off heat. Let sit an additional ten minutes before serving.
  7. Add in noodles to each serving individually if planning on freezing or refrigerating leftovers. If not, add in all at once.
  8. (Refer above for storing methods)

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