Whether you’re feeling homesick or have a case of the sniffles, this chicken noodle soup is great for clearing your head and providing a quick pick-me-up. The only catch is that the soup isn’t a quick fix like its canned and just-add-water counterparts, but it more than makes up for it with its hearty flavor and crisp — yet not crunchy — vegetables.
It’s great to make over the weekend, especially on those days when you’re already stuck inside doing laundry or cramming for a test. I like to make a big batch so I can eat it throughout the week (then it’s just as quick to microwave as those pre-made brands).
Utensils required: pot with lid, another pot (for cooking noodles), colander, ladle, cutting board, knife, bowls/spoons (for serving)
Ingredients:
5 whole (large) carrots
4-5 stalks of celery
1 1/2 large sweet onions (like vidalia)
1 whole boiler chicken
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash (seasoned to taste)
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon garlic salt
tap water
1 box of your favorite noodles (Use quinoa pasta and make sure your broth doesn’t contain gluten to make it a gluten-free dish!)
hot sauce (optional)
Steps:
1. Peel and slice carrots into coins. Place them at the bottom of your lidded pot.
2. Slice up the celery and onions, then layer them in the pot atop the carrots.
3. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Now pour in both cans of chicken broth. If the broth doesn’t totally cover the chicken, add a little water.
4. Sprinkle in the Mrs. Dash, pepper and garlic salt. Season it sparingly, since you can always add more later.
5. Bring the ingredients to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer and cover it with the lid. Let the soup cook for about an hour on low heat, stirring occasionally.
6. As the soup cooks, bring water to a boil in the other pot. Add in about half a cup of noodles for each bowl of soup and cook according to the directions on the box. Strain the noodles when they’re done, but don’t add them to the soup just yet.
(Tip No. 1: I usually prepare the full box of noodles at once so I don’t have to bother boiling more when I want a quick bowl of soup later in the week. Tip No. 2: Store the noodles separately so they don’t start disintegrating in the soup. Just spoon ’em into the soup before you heat it up.)
7. Pull out the chicken and cut the meat away from the bones. Set the dark meat aside (you can use it to make chicken salad or in place of chicken tenders in a buffalo ranch chicken wrap), and add the white meat back to the soup.
8. Remove the soup from heat. Taste test and season if needed.
9. Optional: For a tangier take on an old favorite, add a teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce to each bowl of soup.