Some chicken soup for the soul 
We are fully into soup and stew season, which means it’s time for me to make the best of my crockpots and Dutch ovens! I love buying a whole chicken at the grocery store, using the meat for chicken noodle soup and other dishes, while the bones make some great homemade chicken stock. It’s a really easy way to pay less for more chicken while also ensuring no food goes to waste. I made this soup using some egg noodles bought from the store, celery, carrots, and herbs to top it off. A really great, filling meal that’ll last the whole week!
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless chicken, breast or thigh
- 2 1/2 qt low-sodium chicken stock (homemade is best!)
- 2 1/2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 4 celery ribs, chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 bundle of fresh thyme
- 1/2 bundle of fresh sage
- 1 bunch parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large (5-6 qt) pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the chicken in batches, ~2-3 minutes on each side, until some browning has developed. Set the chicken aside on a plate when done. This both adds flavor to the chicken, as well as leaves behind lots of delicious bits in the pot that will add flavor to the soup.
- Once the chicken is done, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter has melted and just begun to brown (be careful not to burn it!) add all the chopped vegetables. Season generously with some salt and pepper, and cook the veggies for ~2-3 minutes, until the begin to soften, stirring often).
- Add the stock to the pot, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to help deglaze the pan, releasing all that chicken goodness from before into the soup. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add back the chicken, as well as the thyme, sage, and the stems (just the stems, use the leaves later for garnish) of the parsley wrapped up in cheesecloth. Let the soup cook uncovered for 20-25 min, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- While the soup is cooking, in a second pot boil water and cook your noodles of choice, I prefer big pappardelle pasta for mine. Once cooked, strain and set aside.
- Once the chicken is cooked through in the soup, remove the chicken and the herbs from the soup. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can use a knife to cut them into chunks instead, but I prefer the rustic feel of shredded chicken. Once shredded, add the chicken back to the soup, along with the noodles. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- The soup will keep well for a few days in the fridge, and can also be frozen. I recommend separating the liquid soup from the add-ins with a strainer before storage, or else the noodles/veggies can get too soft.
- Enjoy!
Great idea! I’ll have to try that next time 🙂