Chicken Noodle Soup
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion chopped
- bay leaf
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 2 ribs celery halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-i
- 2 quarts chicken stock recipe follows
- 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- Carbohydrate 64.1618016571762 g
- Cholesterol 107.64 mg
- Fat 22.3241073956377 g
- Fiber 3.80252767503812 g
- Protein 35.3724466954268 g
- Saturated Fat 5.16604190338772 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (679g)
- Sodium 820.150245614386 mg
- Sugar 60.359273982138 g
- Trans Fat 1.80290074333999 g
- Calories 605 calories
Step-by-step
- Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf.
- Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender.
- Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Adding dried pasta directly to a simmering broth instead of cooking it separately saves cleanup and infuses the starch back into the liquid, yet this method requires careful timing so the noodles do not turn to mush. When substituting standard chicken stock with a low-sodium commercial broth, compensate for the lack of inherent depth by adding a splash of soy sauce or an extra clove of minced garlic.
Adapting Aromatics and Proteins
Standard mirepoix relies on onions, carrots, and celery, but fennel bulb or parsnips can replace the celery at a one-to-one ratio if those vegetables are cheaper or more accessible in your kitchen. Shredded rotisserie chicken works well as a fast alternative to poaching raw breasts, though adding pre-cooked meat too early will cause it to dry out during the simmer. Fresh thyme sprigs should be tied with kitchen twine before dropping into the pot so woody stems are easy to retrieve before serving.
- Use water and bouillon cubes only if salt levels are monitored closely throughout the reduction process.
- Swap wide egg noodles for broken spaghetti pieces by weight if supply is limited, keeping in mind that wheat pasta absorbs more liquid than egg-based varieties.
- Store leftovers without the noodles if possible, because starches continue absorbing broth inside the refrigerator over a 3-day window.
