I arrived back in the city yesterday and was happy to ease back into our old routine. I love the holidays, and my family had a great one, but after the flurry of parties and constant eating I find myself craving my normal schedule. Tuesday afternoon I spent a good hour placing a huge grocery order and I was thrilled to find all our food neatly stacked in boxes, ready to be unpacked, right when I walked in the door. Pumpkin Cheesecake has been a staple in my diet since Saturday so I was eager to welcome some healthier foods back into my life. To me, there’s something so comforting about unpacking the groceries and filling our bare fridge and cupboards with lots of fresh food. Later in the afternoon I made a huge batch of granola, and then last night, Brandon and I caught up in the kitchen while making a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup. With breakfast and lunch set for the week, I think normal life has officially returned.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup generously adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 6
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced (plus a few leafy tops for the stock)
- 1/2 whole medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon (heaping) ground thyme
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
- fresh parsley for serving
In a large pot, cover the chicken with 4 quarts (16 cups) of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer partially covered for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, remove chicken and let cool. While it’s cooling cut up your carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Set another large pot to medium low heat. Place olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery in pot and sauté. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Once the chicken is cooled, using your hands pull all the meat off the bones until they’re practically bare, and return the bones to the stock pot. Bring stock back up to a simmer, and simmer with bones for 45 minutes. We also added in a few stalks of leafy celery. You could add that as well as more carrots or onion- whatever you have on hand. Or you can just simmer the bones. While the stock is cooking, shred the chicken, removing any skin or tough parts. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, at the garlic to the vegetable pot.
Once the stock is cooked, strain the bones and vegetables, and pour the stock into the vegetable pot. Add in the spices and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until flavor have melded. Then add in the chicken and noodles, cooking for 8-10 minutes, until noodles are fully cooked. Lastly, place the flour in a small cup. Add a bit of water to make a liquid-y paste. Add the paste to the soup and stir well. Let cook for an additional 5 minutes so soup can thicken. Once cooked, taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately with fresh parsley on top. Soup can be stored up to 5 days in fridge.
that looks so good!
Looks delicious and so comforting! I love the fact this this soup is almost stew-like – very hearty-looking!
I like your broth to noodle ratio!
Thanks, guys! Yes, this is a pretty thick chicken noodle soup. It gets thicker as it sits too, because the noodles absorb a lot of the broth. It makes it so flavorful!
This looks really good!
Please check out my blog: http://achefinthyme.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/savory-parmesan-and-pancetta-cupcakes/
Thank you, Angelie! I’ll be sure to check it out.
This soup looks delicious! I totally agree with returning to normalcy by stocking the kitchen with fresh eats and getting back into the routine of healthy meals. Welcome back home, and Happy New Year!
Thanks, Leanne! Hope you had a wonderful holiday, looking forward to see what you’re cooking in 2012.
Hey Clara, I’m in the middle of making your recipe and I already have had multiple comments about how great it smells and looks! I’m glad I found this page…. Ill be lookin up more of your recipes!
Wyatt- I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup! You’ll have to let me know what other recipes you try.