This recipe holds a special place in my heart because it was my first major trial and error, years in the making, original recipe. I have likely made some variation of your classic chicken noodle soup over 30 times. And, I can confidently say, it has gotten better every time. What I love about this comforting yet healthy dish is how changeable it is. The starch added, veggies thrown in, herbs used, and final garnished all create unique variations of the classic chicken noodle. After years of perfecting, I can confidently say this is my final product (maybe). Enjoy, and feel free to take or leave my suggestions!
Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded and removed from bones
1 small bunch of dill, plus more for garnish
1 small bunch of parsley, plus more for garnish
7 garlic cloves, 5 whole and 2 minced
Around 10 black peppercorns
2 yellow onions, 1 quartered with skin on and the other diced
5 stalks of celery, 3 of them broken into large pieces and the other 2 diced
3 medium carrots, 1 broken into large pieces and the other 2 diced
32 oz chicken bone broth
1/2 lb egg noodles (or any small pasta, like farfalle), boiled separately and set off to the side
2 tbsp olive oil or butter (whichever you prefer)
1 lemon, zested and halved
Kosher salt
Directions:
To a dutch oven or large pot, add your rotisserie chicken bones, bunches of dill and parsley, whole garlic cloves, peppercorns, onion quarters, celery pieces, carrot pieces, and lemon zest. Cover with your chicken bone broth, and add some cold water until everything is about 3-4 inches covered. Add about a palm full of kosher salt (I promise this is NOT too much). Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer for as long as you'd like. Some days I only have an hour, others I simmer all day. The longer the better. Add more water as needed.
Once done simmering, strain this mixture into a large bowl using a colander. To your now empty pot, add your oil or butter, garlic and diced onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Now, add your diced carrots and celery, and generously season with more kosher salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, letting the veggies soften. Finally, add your broth back to the pot, and your shredded rotisserie chicken, and bring to a high simmer once more. Add a big squeeze of lemon, taste for seasoning, and serve over egg noodles with extra dill and parsley.
Variations:
If you're...
Feeling sick:
Add 2 tsp minced ginger and 2 tsp turmeric in with the diced garlic and onions.
Wanting more veggies in the diet:
Add in 1/2 a head of Napa cabbage, some diced sweet potato, and some mushrooms in with the diced carrots and celery.
Short on time:
Use bone-in, skin on pre-salted chicken breasts, and sear at the beginning for about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pot. Forget the vegetables for simmering, and only add the diced versions. Sauté these in the chicken fat for about 5 minutes, add your chicken back in, and cover with broth and water like in the original recipe. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, shred with two forks, add back in, and serve.
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