About the Chicken Stock:
For this recipe, homemade chicken stock is the best option if you’re wondering whether to use store-bought or homemade. The key is to use a rotisserie chicken so that you can use the meat from the bird and use the leftover carcass and bones to make chicken broth. You won’t believe how simple it is, and the depth of flavor it adds really elevates the soup to a whole new level.
It’s equally possible that you’ve had a bad bowl of chicken noodle soup in the past as well as some great ones. That’s because, far too frequently, the one component that should make this traditional comfort food shine—the noodles—seems to be what makes it fall flat. According to Kitchn, this happens a lot. The noodles in the soup end up way too mushy, giving what could otherwise be an almost perfect dish an unwanted, starchy gumminess.
Mushy noodles, the outlet explains, are the result of overcooking. This happens when the noodles are added to the soup too soon, which gives them an excessive amount of time to cook. Rather, Kitchn suggests adding noodles to chicken soup very close to the end of the cooking process.
The source advises adding the noodles when the soup is almost done and simmering them until they are only partially cooked. Even after the soup is heated and cooled several times, the noodles will be thoroughly cooked by the hot broth’s residual heat. Thus, the next time you pick up your soup pot, remember to be patient in your quest for noodles that aren’t mushy.
With its combination of egg noodles and chunks of poultry and vegetables, chicken noodle soup is the most traditional type of chicken soup available (source: Kitchn). With the noodles adding both textural contrast and density, the soup is a complete meal in a bowl. But when preparing chicken noodle soup at home, timing is crucial if you enjoy it.
Who doesn’t enjoy a hot, steaming bowl of chicken soup? In addition to being a filling and tasty meal, chicken soup is frequently used as a natural cure for cold and flu symptoms, an ancient practice that has been scientifically shown to improve our health (source: WebMD). No matter how you prepare it—using coconut milk, adding a dash of fresh dill, or squeezing in a lot of lemon juice—chicken soup is always a welcome meal on a chilly winter’s evening.
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!
