Quick & Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

If I have a food page and don't have a chicken noodle soup recipe on it, am I even a foodie? This is my very Quick & Easy Chicken Noodle Soup and I can't wait for you to make it. Not only is it an easy recipe, but it's flavorful and very wholesome. I added herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, and oregano to add more fresh flavor and to give it more of a cozy-meal-vibe.

Like I said, this is a simple version of a chicken noodle soup recipe that you can make any time in under an hour. The prep consists of chopping veggies for the mirepoix and ensuring you have defrosted chicken breast on hand. The best part is you'll have leftovers and will be able to be the coworker with a cozy homemade soup for lunch or the smart person who has dinner pre-made after a long day at school/work. If you do choose to enjoy the leftovers, make sure you place them in an airtight container and enjoy it for up to 3 days. The noodles could become soggy with time. You can also choose to freeze the soup to enjoy down the road! Just make sure that when you do choose to enjoy the frozen soup, make fresh noodles because they will become soggy.

For the best-tasting chicken noodle soup, you can choose to make your own chicken broth. I used chicken breast for this recipe to make it more nutrient-dense and lean, but you can opt for chicken thighs since they are more tender. As mentioned, to ensure a not-so-soggy-soup, you can choose to add already cooked pasta to the soup or as needed when you want to re-enjoy. Don't be intimidated by the long ingredients list, trust me you most likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Let's get to the recipe!

Yields: 6

Portion: 1 bowl

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

This recipe can be dairy free without the butter and gluten free by using GF pasta.

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Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp butter (optional, but adds great flavor)

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

Salt

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried basil

3 chicken breast (or chicken thigh)

3 bay leaves

3 cups chicken broth

6 cups boiled water

1 cup noodles of choice (I used cavatappi, but you can use elbows, egg noodles, or shells)

Juice of ½ lemon

Fresh parsley to garnish

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Instructions:

1. Prep the mirepoix: have the yellow onion, carrot, and celery prepped. Have the garlic prepped as well. In a large pot, add the olive oil and butter on medium high heat. Once you can smell the butter/olive oil, add in the mirepoix. Stir well. Add 2 tsp of salt. Allow them to cook until they begin to soften. This is about 10 minutes.

2. Add garlic and seasonings: add the garlic, basil, thyme, and oregano in. Stir and then add in the chicken breast and bay leaves. Stir them in well and add in the boiling water and chicken broth. Once the soup begins to boil, lower the heat to medium/medium-low and cover the pot. Allow the soup to cook until the chicken is shreddable. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Check on the chicken and see if it needs more time to cook.

3. Shred the chicken: once the chicken is done cooking, gently remove it from the soup and shred. Be careful it's hot, so use utensils or your hands and wear gloves. Add the chicken back in along with the pasta of choice. Allow the pasta to cook if it's not cooked already. This is another 5-10 minutes. Once the pasta is done cooking, lower the heat. Taste test for salt, add if necessary. Add lemon juice and parsley to garnish.

4. Serve: serve in separate bowls and garnish with lemon slices if you'd like to be fancy. Some enjoy the soup with a grilled cheese or toasted sourdough so you can also do that. Enjoy!

xoxo,

#averagearabgirl