Chicken Noodle Soup
Loving the Kitchen | A Series
This is the first in my new series of recipes that I’ve been trying since getting back into cooking after months of chronic pain. I want to help others learn to cook delicious meals at home with very basic skills and simple ingredients because good cooking shouldn’t be intimidating.
Recipe |
Ingredients —
- half a pound of noodles of your choice
- 2 chicken breasts
- couple sprigs of each of these fresh herbs — rosemary, thyme, and sage
- 4 tbsp. Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken bullion paste
- 4 tbsp. white miso paste
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz) chicken stock
- 2 cups of carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- half a stick of butter
- 4 cups of water
- seasonings — smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano
Time —
Total: 50 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Cooking |
Being prepared is essential and it makes your cooking experience so much better. You shouldn’t feel like a chicken with its head cut off. So, be prepared with everything you’ll need. Also, getting into the habit of cleaning as you go is another great way to maintain order, especially if you lack some confidence in the kitchen. And lastly, don’t forget to taste everything along the way. If you haven’t tried an ingredient, try it beforehand.
But I believe in you. You’ve got this!
- Prepare your vegetables ahead of time — wash, chop, and dice everything that requires the knife. Set all of this aside.
- Scoop out your pastes — the miso and the bouillon. Place these little flavor bombs in some water to add to the stock later. Set with the rest of the ingredients, off to the side.
- In a large pot, add half of your butter as well as your seasonings. Season to your preference, but I add a teaspoon of each. Let this come to a simmer before adding your chicken. I’d say set your heat up to about half of its power to achieve this.
A note worth mentioning, you want the meat to sizzle when it goes in. If it does not, it’s okay to take it out. Just try again in another minute or so. It is really important to also lower the heat at this point to about a third of your burner’s power. This will allow the chicken to cook without burning. We want to use this pot for the entire cooking process. This cannot be achieved if anything has been burnt.
- Once your chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and set it aside. You will shred or cut this later.
- Add the rest of your butter to the pot as well as your onions. Allow these to cook down for a couple of minutes. Stir this well. They should be slightly translucent by the time you add your celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook this long enough so that the delicious garlicky fragrance really hits you.
- Pour in all of your liquids — chicken stock, bouillon-miso stock, and the remaining water. Now, stir everything for a moment, making sure to scrape those tasty little bits off the bottom of the pot. That is going to add some really good flavor to your soup.
- Next, you can add your noodles and fresh herbs. Give it a stir again and allow this to come to a low boil, meaning more than half of your burner’s power.
You can stir several more times until your chosen pasta is cooked. Taste your soup here and adjust seasonings. You can finally add your chicken. Some people like to add cream here as well for a creamy chicken noodle soup. This can be and maybe should be served with some focaccia.
Final Thoughts |
Maybe you have felt similarly but making soup was always an intimidating feat for me. The recipes just seemed to have so many steps that worked to create these delicious layers of flavor that I feared I couldn’t make anything as good as I’d ever had anywhere else.
I am proud to say I have made three soups since I began cooking again. This one is my favorite — I’ve made it twice.
If you liked this recipe too or maybe you’ve changed up a few things, let me know! I would love to hear about your experience. And remember:
