An all-time favorite comfort food...
In the early years, we made grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup pretty often - and we loved Mrs. Grass and her mysterious flavor nugget. But, as time went on, I started making more things from scratch, and found that chicken noodle soup is pretty hard to mess up, cheap to make a giant batch and freeze, and great to share. I remember getting a container of soup and a crusty loaf of bread when little Baker was born, and it TOTALLY hit the spot - simple and delish, and the whole family liked it.
Chicken Noodle Soup
This makes a huge batch.
4 cups chicken, cooked & diced
4-6 c. water
6 c. chicken broth (we use Swanson Natural Goodness or Kirkland's Chicken Stock)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped (a tsp of dried works, too)
2-4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves fall off during cooking - tie them together for easy removal)
1 tsp. salt (or leave out, and let others adjust it before serving - be careful with sodium in stock)
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6-8 stalks celery, chopped
10 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 c. onion, diced
1 tbsp. EVOO
1-2 packages egg noodles (kept separate – not prepared or added to soup if freezing)
Heat 1 tbsp. EVOO in Dutch oven, add onions, carrots and celery, and cook 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds - don't burn! Add broth, water, chicken, and remaining ingredients (except noodles). Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer about 2 hours or until veggies are tender. Remove bay leaf and thyme stems. To prepare immediately, add noodles, then serve once they've cooked (we like the skinny egg noodles that look like broken spaghetti noodles, but you can also use the wide ones). To freeze, cool completely and place in 2 Ziploc bags (or containers) and include a package of noodles (freeze flat for easy storage).
To cook: Thaw (stick it in a bowl or on a tray in case it leaks in the fridge!). Heat on stove to desired temperature. Add noodles to soup and let them cook in the liquid - may need to adjust seasoning or liquid.
In the early years, we made grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup pretty often - and we loved Mrs. Grass and her mysterious flavor nugget. But, as time went on, I started making more things from scratch, and found that chicken noodle soup is pretty hard to mess up, cheap to make a giant batch and freeze, and great to share. I remember getting a container of soup and a crusty loaf of bread when little Baker was born, and it TOTALLY hit the spot - simple and delish, and the whole family liked it.
Chicken Noodle Soup
This makes a huge batch.
4 cups chicken, cooked & diced
4-6 c. water
6 c. chicken broth (we use Swanson Natural Goodness or Kirkland's Chicken Stock)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped (a tsp of dried works, too)
2-4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves fall off during cooking - tie them together for easy removal)
1 tsp. salt (or leave out, and let others adjust it before serving - be careful with sodium in stock)
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6-8 stalks celery, chopped
10 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 c. onion, diced
1 tbsp. EVOO
1-2 packages egg noodles (kept separate – not prepared or added to soup if freezing)
Heat 1 tbsp. EVOO in Dutch oven, add onions, carrots and celery, and cook 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds - don't burn! Add broth, water, chicken, and remaining ingredients (except noodles). Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer about 2 hours or until veggies are tender. Remove bay leaf and thyme stems. To prepare immediately, add noodles, then serve once they've cooked (we like the skinny egg noodles that look like broken spaghetti noodles, but you can also use the wide ones). To freeze, cool completely and place in 2 Ziploc bags (or containers) and include a package of noodles (freeze flat for easy storage).
To cook: Thaw (stick it in a bowl or on a tray in case it leaks in the fridge!). Heat on stove to desired temperature. Add noodles to soup and let them cook in the liquid - may need to adjust seasoning or liquid.