Mmmm, soup.

So it looks like Heather and I are either both sick, or both suffering from the same allergy. Whichever it is, we were both feeling very under-the-weather this afternoon, so a big pot of chicken soup was called for.

I had the beginnings of an idea for the soup after flipping through The Joy Of Cooking, but I felt an inner need to fiddle with the recipe. So I started with the base of chicken broth and egg noodles, and then went from there.

We were at HEB getting groceries, so I picked up one of the pre-cooked rotisserie chickens from the deli. Homemade boiled or roasted chicken would be an adequate, and probably less-expensive, substitute.

Very Basic Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 quart-sized container of low-sodium chicken broth (organic is better than “regular”, homemade stock is even better if you’ve got it on hand)
  • 1 medium onion, 1/4″ dice
  • 1 rip of celery, 1/4″ dice
  • 1 carrot, 1/4″ dice
  • 1 large clove of garlic (or 2 medium-sized cloves), 1/4″ dice
  • 1/2 of a 3-4 pound chicken, cooked and cubed (if I had to estimate, I’d say between 2 and 3 cups of chicken, cut in 1/2″ cubes)
  • 3-4 cups of water
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 cups of egg noodles, cooked (and rinsed and chilled, if prepared in advance)

Method:

  1. Sweat the carrot, celery, garlic, and onion in olive oil until soft, 5-10 minutes over medium-low heat
  2. Add the broth, water, and cubed chicken to the pot. If you still have the chicken carcass, add it as well; it will add additional flavor. Just be prepared to remove it before serving.
  3. Season to taste with salt and lots of fresh-ground black pepper
  4. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15-30 minutes
  5. Add egg noodles and serve

This is 100% a very simple soup, and I’m sure there are thousands of recipes out there that are more complex than this one. But you know what? This was one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever had. I think the only ways I could have improved the recipe would have been to use homemade chicken stock (I’m too lazy for that) and to serve with homemade croutons (which I may do next time). After two bowls, there was still about a quart left, so into a Mason jar it went, and from there into the fridge. Mmm, leftovers.

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devlogic

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