Good ‘ole chicken noodle

Hello friends!! I am both early and long overdue on this post. Early, because I’ve had a version of this soup in the archives. And late, because I meant to share this updated version over the long Valentine’s Day weekend. After all, I did go through the trouble of making the adorable heart-shaped carrots. But oh well.  Life happens as it does and so this is a little belated.

Whether you enjoyed the single scene, had a lavish date filled with roses and champagne, or celebrated with family, I hope everyone felt some form of love on V-day. My husband and I are definitely more of the stay-in type. I’d like to say I could blame our toddler for that. But it’s really how we’ve always been (except for maybe when we were in our early twenties, whenever that was…).  With our toddler in the mix now, I love that it has become about our whole family.

This year, we kept it low key with a cozy fire and homemade chicken noodle soup. That might sound boring. It sounds boring, doesn’t it? Haha. So why chicken noodle? Well it is one of my husband’s favorite meals, especially when served with a polenta sourdough loaf from our favorite bakery. And just like my family, chicken noodle soup is warm, comforting, and feels like home.

I’ve made a version of this chicken noodle soup for several years now. Every version includes fresh rosemary and thyme. But I made a couple of subtle tweaks this time that revitalized it for me. First, I added dino kale to it. I love the classic mirepoix (diced celery, carrots, and onion). But the dino kale adds a rich color and heartiness. Second, I used mini-shell pasta. The mini-shell swap was primarily for my toddler since his spoon is so much smaller. But I really enjoyed having more space in my spoon too! Easier for me to get everything in one bite.

For the chicken, I either use leftovers or roast a couple of chicken breasts. If you would like a roasted chicken breast recipe, I’ve included it below.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 roasted chicken breasts, chopped into chunks (recipe below)
• 2 cartons of chicken broth
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 2 cups carrots, chopped (about 3 carrots)
• 2 cups yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups dino kale, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 lb. box of mini -shell pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon of arrow root (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• Olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in large pot on medium heat.
2. Add onions, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Add the rosemary and thyme.
4. Add the broth. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes.
5. At the same time the broth is simmering, grab a new pot and cook the mini-shell pasta until al dente (about 9-10 minutes). Drain pasta.
6. Add diced chicken and kale to the soup. Add the arrow root* and stir. Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes, taste for seasoning, and then you’re ready to enjoy!

When serving, I like to handle the pasta in 2 ways depending on whether I plan to have leftovers. If I’m expecting to serve to 4-5 people, I add the pasta in at the same time as the chicken and kale. But if I’m just serving to my family and will store some for the next couple days, I add the pasta to each bowl at a time. Then I cover with the soup. I have found that when I store pasta with the soup, it absorbs too much of the broth, leaving not too much for the subsequent days.

* Arrow root is a powdered starch that can be added to soups, sauces, etc. to thicken. When you use flour to thicken sauces, the flour needs to be cooked to avoid the raw flour taste. Unlike flour, arrow root has a neutral flavor so you can add it directly to a soup or sauce and stir. When you use arrowroot, use about 1/3 the amount in place of flour or cornstarch.

Roasted Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from 1/2 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
3. In an oven safe medium pot (like a Dutch oven), heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat.
4. Place the chicken breasts skin-side down into the Dutch oven and sear for 3 minutes. Flip and repeat the searing process on the other side.
5. Add the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Place the Dutch oven into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. The chicken breasts are done when the juices run clear.
7. Remove chicken breasts from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.  (When I use this chicken for my soup, I remove the skin and then chop into chunks. I like to leave the skin on during the cooking process for more flavor.)