Chicken Noodle Soup

When you’re sick, when it’s cold outside, whenever really, there is nothing more comforting than homemade chicken noodle soup. The salty broth with the crisp, healthy vegetables, and the soft noodles: I can’t think of anything better.

Every time I have some leftover chicken in my fridge, I have to make soup with it. You’d be surprised how much flavor you can extract from the bones, and how much meat remains on the carcass of a whole chicken after carving. Even if you buy the grocery rotisserie chickens, this is a great way to use the whole chicken.

You’ll love this recipe, and you’ll never buy another canned soup again.

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)

  • 3 quarts low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 chicken carcass + 1 breast already cooked and shredded
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ package of any pasta you like (I like short pastas e.g. egg noodles, gemelli, rotini)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion (~ ½ medium yellow onion)
  • 1 cup carrots peeled and roughly chopped (~ 3 large carrots)
  • 1 cup celery roughly chopped, leaves removed (~ 4 celery stalks)
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (~4 large cloves)
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • ½ bunch of fresh Italian parsley finely chopped

Directions:

In a large stockpot, add the chicken broth, chicken carcass, rosemary, thyme, and bay. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and let simmer uncovered for an hour. Remove the carcass. Once cool enough to handle, start ripping off any remaining meat and set aside. Discard the bones. Broth can be made in advance and refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for up to 6months. *If you plan on refrigerating or freezing the broth, allow it to cool for at least an hour before putting it in your fridge. Cool by placing the pot in your sink with some cold ice water. Putting warm food into the fridge before allowing it to cool is a breeding ground for bacteria because although the outside of the food will get cold, the inside will stay warm and spoil. All perishable food should be kept below 40°F to avoid contamination. Refrigerate the broth overnight before freezing.*

In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the foam dissipates, the butter hot enough to cook. Immediately add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of flour over the vegetables. Whisk continuously to break up clumps until the flour is cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth (it should be between 8-10 cups of broth). Add the remaining teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. Fold in the cooked chicken that has been set aside (both the breast and the chicken that has been pulled from the carcass) and the parsley. Serve immediately.