The Seasonal Gourmet

Yesterday I was feeling a bit under the weather and it was snowing hard outside.  I felt like having something warm and soothing for dinner but wasn’t excited about the idea of canned soup with too much sodium and soggy noodles.  I searched the pantry and fridge and came up with this easy chicken noodle soup that fit the bill perfectly and is much tastier than canned.  (It’s also delicious if you’re not feeling sick!)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes about 8 cups of soup

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large carrots cut into rounds about 1/2″ thick
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 3 medium leeks, white part only, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stripped off their branches
• 3 chicken breasts (with skin and bones attached)
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups dry egg noodles
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large stock pot or cast-iron enameled pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in pot, skin side down. Brown chicken until breasts begin to turn golden and crisp.  Turn over and brown the other side.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add carrots, celery, leeks, onions and garlic to pot.  Saute until they are just starting to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add half of the sage, thyme and rosemary and stir into mixture.
3. Place chicken pieces back in pot and cover with the chicken stock.  Place lid on the pot and let simmer gently for about 40 to 45 minutes (don’t let it come to a hard boil).
4. After 45 minutes, remove chicken breasts from the soup.  Place on a cutting board and using a fork, pull the meat off the bone.  Cut into chunks and put meat back into the soup.  Discard bones.
5. Add remaining herbs and the noodles to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Bon Appétit and Enjoy!