How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup:
Use a rotisserie chicken to make homemade chicken stock in advance, or select a high-quality brand from the store.
Sauté veggies. Put butter, chopped carrots, and celery in a big stock pot and heat it to medium-high. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add chicken stock or broth. Add pepper, salt (make sure to taste the broth before adding extra salt), and a small pinch of crushed red pepper, sage, and rosemary to the broth. If necessary, I might also add a tiny spoonful of “better than bullion” chicken or chicken bouillon powder, depending on how it tastes.
Add noodles and boil. When boiling, add the noodles (dried store-bought pasta or the raw homemade egg noodles) and cook until just al dente. When using store-bought noodles, take care not to overcook them; they will continue to cook off of the heat, so take the soup pot off of the heat as soon as the noodles are just barely tender.
Add chicken. Add chicken meat from the rotisserie chicken. Taste the broth again and add more seasonings, if needed.
Serve. If you enjoy this recipe, you should try my new Chicken and Dumpling Soup! I love to serve this nutritious soup with homemade rolls or this simple No Knead Bread!
How Long Can You Store Soup?
It may surprise you to learn that some soups can be refrigerated for nearly a week. Two factors really determine how long soup can be stored, assuming your refrigerator is kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower: what’s in the soup and how well it was cooled. The best course of action is to learn to trust your nose and taste buds and to always be on the lookout for funky smells and sourness, as many recipes will give you a conservative amount of time for storage.
Why Homemade Is Best
Making soup at home has several advantages: you can choose the ingredients, adding only those you like and omitting those you don’t; you can also use ingredients you know are healthy. Of course, its also more economical than buying pre-made soup. And just picture how content you’ll be after you’ve finished your bowlful and stored some in the freezer for a day or the fridge for later in the week, for when you need a little extra comfort.
Making your own soup is a worthwhile endeavor, and the act of cooking may even lift your spirits. Whether you use store-bought or homemade stock—we would always prefer homemade stock—making it is a worthwhile endeavor. You can store portions for one, two, or many people in the refrigerator or freezer for a rainy day. The secret is to know how to store it in a way that maximizes safety and efficiency when reheating.
