Soup Sunday - No Fuss Chicken Noodle Soup
It has been years since I last made real, homemade chicken soup, and that is because of my super simple n0-fuss recipe. I developed this one on my own, with some inspiration coming from my parents, specifically the trick to puree half of the veggies.
I'm sure I'll make real chicken soup again some day when I have a lot of time, but I needed something quick today. Also, there are some really good low sodium canned chicken broths out there which makes cheating a little easier - the Swanson's Low Sodium Natural Goodness was the perfect base for this soup today.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 76 oz chicken broth (1 large can and 2 small cans), or whatever amount you'd like
- Roughly chopped veggies: 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk
- Finely chopped veggies: 1/4 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk
- 2 sage leaves, finely chopped
- Pinch of dried thyme
- Approximately 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 oz egg noodles
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot
- Add roughly chopped onions and garlic, saute 3-4 minutes
- Add roughly chopped carrots and celery; add sage
- Stir for 2 minutes and then add broth, dried thyme, and bay leaf
- Bring to a boil then keep at a simmer until veggies are soft
- Turn heat to low, remove bay leaf and puree veggies using a handheld immersion blender (or transfer to a blender if you don't have an immersion blender).
- Add finely chopped veggies to the broth and simmer until soft.
- Cook egg noodles separately and add to each serving of soup. I cook the noodles separately so they don't soak up too much of the broth.
Why do I puree the vegetables? It gives the soup beautiful color and texture - it's thicker than just a broth soup. Also, it's a great way to sneak in some veggies if you have kids who aren't fond of them (not that I have kids but I think it's a pretty good trick). But I also like chunks of veggies in my soup which is why I add fresh veggies after pureeing the soup.
Sure, chicken soup made from real chicken and/or a chicken carcass is pretty hard to beat, but for a quick (45 minute?) soup that tastes like the real thing, my recipe satisfies that craving!
