Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Last week I had my first run of the fall where it was cold enough to see my breath. This week, the temperatures finally dropped enough that I could pull on my ABB 3/4 Tights and a long sleeve for a morning run.
That can only mean one thing. It's soup weather.
And the first soup of the season in our house is one of my oldest standbys: homemade chicken noodle soup.
I've been making some version of this for years, and I remain convinced that homemade chicken noodle soup is a thousand times better than even the best store-bought version. There's just no comparison.
The funny thing is that it's not particularly difficult to make. It doesn't require much culinary skill, a long list of exotic ingredients, or hours standing over the stove. A little chopping, a little sautéing, some chicken, vegetables, herbs and noodles. That's pretty much it.
I generally think convenience is a wonderful thing, but this is one of those meals where taking a little extra time to make it yourself pays off in a big way.
So if the weather is starting to turn wherever you are, skip the canned stuff and make yourself a pot. You'll be glad you did.
Ingredients
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1 whole chicken (or 2–4 chicken breasts or thighs)
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4 large carrots
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4 celery stalks
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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1 small onion
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2 tbsp fresh parsley
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2 tbsp fresh thyme, stems removed
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10 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
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12 oz wide egg noodles
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Salt and pepper, to taste
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2 tbsp olive oil
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Additional chicken broth for cooking the noodles
Instructions
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Prepare the chicken. If using a whole chicken, boil it to create a rich broth. Be sure to remove the innards packet first.
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Prepare the vegetables. Chop the carrots, celery, garlic and onion. For a smoother texture, you can pulse the vegetables in a food processor.
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Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the vegetables until softened.
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Combine. Add the sautéed vegetables to the broth or stock.
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Add the chicken. If using a whole chicken, remove it from the broth and allow it to cool enough to handle. Pull the meat from the bones and return the chicken to the pot.
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Season. Add the parsley, thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
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Cook the noodles separately. In another pot, bring a mixture of half water and half chicken broth to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package directions. Remove the noodles and set them aside. Pour the noodle cooking liquid back into the soup pot, adding as much as needed for your preferred consistency.
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Serve. Place a portion of noodles in each bowl and ladle the hot chicken soup over them.
Pro Tip: I always keep the noodles separate from the soup until it's time to eat. Otherwise, they continue soaking up the broth, getting softer and softer until you're left with mushy noodles and very little liquid. Keeping them separate means the leftovers are just as good a day or two later.
And because this recipe makes a pretty big pot, it's perfect for freezing. I portion out the extra soup, without the noodles, into freezer-safe containers and freeze it for another day. Just cool and refrigerate or freeze the portions promptly, leaving a little room for expansion. The soup will keep its best quality for about 2–3 months in the freezer. When I'm ready for another bowl, I thaw and reheat the soup, cook a fresh batch of noodles, and dinner is ready. No need to start from scratch.
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