Chicken noodle soup recipe recommendations

[Jennifer Murphy]

I would really appreciate recommendations for hearty, healthy chicken noodle soup recipe recommendations that are not too difficult.

We often bake a whole chicken, but just the 2 of us rarely eat it all, so we end up with leftover chicken in the frig. I'd like to make soup like mom used to do. She's gone and so are her recipes, if she even used any.

I'd like to include veggies, not too much salt, and probably little or no garlic. And the thicker the better -- heavy on the "hearty". ?

Thanks

 

[dragnlaw]

You don't really need much more than Chicken Stock or Broth, which you can make from the carcass.

So finish deboning the rest of the meat. throw the carcass for stock. When you think it is ready add some diced carrots and potatoes, (peas last with the shredded or chopped meat).

Personally I like to cook my noodles separately to add to soup. Unless it is tiny tiny noodles, then cook those in the broth.

If there is a lot of meat left, portion it for soup, a salad, chicken pot pie or dumplings.

Should have mentioned to strain your stock when done.

Pan dripping from roasting goes into the stock and is "probably" enough seasoning, but don't be afraid to taste to add more.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

I would really appreciate recommendations for hearty, healthy chicken noodle soup recipe recommendations that are not too difficult.

We often bake a whole chicken, but just the 2 of us rarely eat it all, so we end up with leftover chicken in the frig. I'd like to make soup like mom used to do. She's gone and so are her recipes, if she even used any.

I'd like to include veggies, not too much salt, and probably little or no garlic. And the thicker the better -- heavy on the "hearty". ?

Thanks

Jennifer, I've made this recipe, albeit a little involved, (but your basic roast chicken carcass stock) for years.
Granted, we do not care for the dumplings, so instead I make
separately, extra wide Amish Egg Noodles (found at stores like Walmart)
and add them to the soup.
BIG hit in hour house.

 

[Jennifer Murphy]

You don't really need much more than Chicken Stock or Broth, which you can make from the carcass.

So finish deboning the rest of the meat. throw the carcass for stock. When you think it is ready add some diced carrots and potatoes, (peas last with the shredded or chopped meat).

Personally I like to cook my noodles separately to add to soup. Unless it is tiny tiny noodles, then cook those in the broth.

If there is a lot of meat left, portion it for soup, a salad, chicken pot pie or dumplings.

Should have mentioned to strain your stock when done.

Pan dripping from roasting goes into the stock and is "probably" enough seasoning, but don't be afraid to taste to add more.

I'm afraid that, novice that I am, I need more detail. I don't think I know enough just yet to make stock from the carcass. In any case, the carcass from meat I hand on hand has already been recycled, as had the drippings. I'll try that next time.

I looked at several chicken soup recipes online. They vary wildly. But they all seem to specify the order for adding the ingredients with times for each. I'm guessing the "harder" (tougher?) veggies go in first as they take longer. I'd like potatoes, but I don't want the, mushy. Do I cook them first?

 

[Jennifer Murphy]

Jennifer, I've made this recipe, albeit a little involved, (but your basic roast chicken carcass stock) for years.

What recipe are you referring to?

I'd really like an actual recipe that I can follow to the letter.

Granted, we do not care for the dumplings, so instead I make
separately, extra wide Amish Egg Noodles (found at stores like Walmart) and add them to the soup.
BIG hit in hour house.

By "make" do you mean "cook" separately?

 

[Andy M.]

Consider these:

https://www.seriouseats.com/warming-chicken-soup-recipes

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

What recipe are you referring to?

I'd really like an actual recipe that I can follow to the letter.


By "make" do you mean "cook" separately?

Golly gee whiz, I thought that I had attached the recipe above, but gosh sorry, so here it is:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-and-dumplings-recipe-2013193

And as to 'make' or 'cook', by that I mean yes, COOK the noodles as directed on the package and then add them to the finished soup.
As I mentioned above, we do not care for dumplings, so I just skip that part of the recipe all together.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Consider these:

https://www.seriouseats.com/warming-chicken-soup-recipes

Ooh, good call Andy!

Who was it that said, the WWW is now a human's best friend? Who would have thought?!

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

I'm afraid that, novice that I am, I need more detail. I don't think I know enough just yet to make stock from the carcass. In any case, the carcass from meat I hand on hand has already been recycled, as had the drippings. I'll try that next time.

I looked at several chicken soup recipes online. They vary wildly. But they all seem to specify the order for adding the ingredients with times for each. I'm guessing the "harder" (tougher?) veggies go in first as they take longer. I'd like potatoes, but I don't want the, mushy. Do I cook them first?

Also, Jennifer, if you no longer have the chicken carcass to make your on stock, you can find pretty good Chicken Stock in a box (hint: hit the link) at the supermarket and then continue on from there.
Chicken Soup is an extremely varied dish, depending upon the individual cook.
And, yes, the tougher the veg, the longer it will take to cook.
I will sometimes cook Potatoes separately and add then them in after, just so that I get them the way that I like them.

 

[Jennifer Murphy]

Consider these:

https://www.seriouseats.com/warming-chicken-soup-recipes

One of the first 2 might work. Thanks.

 

[Jennifer Murphy]

Golly gee whiz, I thought that I had attached the recipe above, but gosh sorry, so here it is:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-and-dumplings-recipe-2013193

Oooohhhh. Chicken and dumplings. My grandmother used to make chicken and dumplings down on the farm. It was delicious. All of her children, including my mom, tried to copy it, but they could never get the dumplings to (a) stay together and (b) float.

And as to 'make' or 'cook', by that I mean yes, COOK the noodles as directed on the package and then add them to the finished soup.

OK

As I mentioned above, we do not care for dumplings, so I just skip that part of the recipe all together.

I wish you could have tasted my gramma's dumpings. No one didn't love them. But that was a very long time ago.

 

[Jennifer Murphy]

I found a recipe online that looked good in the photos, so I tried it. Sadly, I forgot to copy the URL and now I can't find it again. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken, cooked
2 bay leaves
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, diced
3 tbsp parsley
2 garlic cloves
½ tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp thyme, fresh
1 cup vidalia or yellow onion
64 oz chicken broth, low sodium
1 tbsp lemon juice
12 oz wide egg noodles
1 tsp pepper
1 ??? salt
2 tsp olive oil

Steps:
To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.

Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, pepper, and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender.

Note: If you like brothier soup, add additional broth, possibly as much as an additional 64 ounces because as time passes the noodles will continue to absorb broth.

Add the egg noodles and boil mixture for about 10 minutes, or until noodles are soft and cooked through. At any time while making the soup, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and you prefer more broth, adding a cup or two of water is okay. At the end you will adjust the salt level.

Add the chicken, parsley, optional lemon juice (brightens up the flavor), and boil 1 to 2 minutes, or until chicken is warmed through. Taste soup and add salt to taste. I added about 1 tablespoon but this will vary based on how salty the brand of chicken broth used is, how salty the rotisserie chicken is, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, herbs, etc.), remove the bay leaves, and serve immediately.

Here's what I did:

I cut up the chicken and veggies. I think I cut the chicken up too small. It almost disappeared in the soup.

I was worried about cooking the noodles with the rest, so I cooked them separately. The store didn't have any wide noodles, so I bought a package of wide fettucini. It was a 16 oz package. I used it all, which I probably shouldn't have done. I broke it in half before cooking. I should have done a better job of separating the strands. I ended up with several clumps stuck together.

The saute step didn't seem to be going that well with 3 cups of veggies and only 2 tsp of olive oil. After almost 10 minutes, the carrots were still pretty hard. I added some of the broth and brought it back to a boil, stirring constantly.

I think I should have started with just the carrots and added the celery and onions later. By the time the carrots were soft enough, the celery and onion had almost disappeared into liquid.

I then added the spices. I also added the parsely and lemon, not noticing that they were to be added later.

After I got all of the broth in, my first pot almost overflowed, so I got out a second one and tried to divide it up. I then added the chicken and cooked it a bit longer.

When it was all together I tasted it. It was a little bland. I added a little salt and that made a huge difference.

This makes a huge amount of soup. It completely filled an 8 cup Tupperware and most of a Pyrex dish that is slightly larger. I probably have at least 16 cups of soup, and this is after I ate at least 1 cup.

I'd give the result about a 7 on a 0-10 scale. I think I'd like something with a little more chicken and a little less noodles. The noodles were probably my fault for using 16 instead of the indicated 12 oz.

This soup is hard to eat with a spoon or a fork. Next time I think I'll use a pasta that fits on a spoon, like the little shells or butterflies.

I would appreciate any comments on this recipe and on my procedure.

 

[dragnlaw]

my first thoughts

Jennifer, I could comment line for line but ... don't have the energy for that. I think you already know and have commented on your own points that should be corrected.

Decide how much soup you want and be sure to check the recipes for the quantity it makes first. I once got excited over a recipe only to suddenly realize it served 20! When I look for a recipe I want it to be the size I need, I'm too lazy to calculate reducing and rethinking it. There are too many out there to choose from.

Correct in assuming you could have perhaps started off with softening just the carrots first. A lot of recipes call for softening the vegies first "giving them a nutty flavour" or some such thing. Other than the onion, I don't bother! I don't really care for 'boiled' onion, so those I do soften first.

These are just my first thoughts, others can probably comment on more. But try different recipes and see which you prefer.

Correct (IMHO) to cook the noodles separately. Be sure to have enough water for the quantity of pasta you are cooking. Pasta needs to be able to bubble around in the pot to cook properly. And don't forget to stir at the start a couple of times to separate pieces. I have a chart somewhere that tells you approx. how much (weight or measure) pasta for how many servings. Tip: cook your noodles, drain, add a pat of butter or a splash of oil, stir in and set aside. Butter/oil keeps the pasta from sticking together in a mass.

Potatoes, like pasta, can be partially cooked separately and then added back in to finish. This way they will absorb more of the soup flavours.

I often find that leftover chicken, when being added to a new recipe, is sometimes better/easier shredded rather than diced. Soup, to my mind, calls for diced but that doesn't mean it has to be. It only needs reheating, not cooking further.

I don't recommend both pasta and dumplings. Should be one or the other. To me dumplings make it stew. Getting them to float? Stew must be bubbling, add dumplings, put the lid on, and wait the time in the directions! Nothing worse than gluey dumplings that aren't cooked! LOL

 

[Jennifer Murphy]

Jennifer, I could comment line for line but ...

Thanks for the comments. I'll try them out the next time -- if I ever finish eating this batch.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

dragnlaw said:
"Jennifer, I could comment line for line but ... don't have the energy for that..."

and yet you go on to channel Chief Longwind, dragn. [emoji38] Thanks for the chuckle, dear. [emoji6]

*****************

Jennifer, you can always freeze some of the soup in smaller batches so you don't have to eat it all at once.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

This thread has multiple recipes https://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f56/chicken-soup-challenge-96883.html, some more involved than others. It has many great recipes.



Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[dragnlaw]

CG, you're right! Gave myself a good chuckle too when I looked at it after posted.

Ex always claimed I have diarrhea of the mouth, seems I have the same affliction in my fingers.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief's Richest Chicken Soup:
Tis recipe makes the richest, amazing flavored broth, with exceptional mouth feel It takes time, and a few unusual ingredients, but is well worth the effort.

Ingredients;
2 lbs. chicken wings
1 lb. bone in chicken thighs, with skin
3 lb. roasting chicken with neck, and giblets.
1 lb. chicken feet
1 smoked ham hock
2 tsp. kosher salt
1tsp. ground sage
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 carrots, peeled, and sliced
1 large onion, rustic chop
12 oz. dice tomato
1 recipe homemade egg noodles

*
Noodles
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose white flour
2 tbs. salt
2 tbs. Sunflower or Olive oil
2 tbs. Olive oil (set aside)
2 tbs. plus 1/2 tsp. Salt

Place flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tbs. olive oil and 1/4 cup water. Stir to make a dough. Add more flour or water until the kneaded product is soft and springy, like a good bread dough. Continue kneading for five minutes.

Place thighs and wings onto a foil lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast in a 450' F oven for 20 minutes. Place the ham hock, and chicken feet into a large Dutch oven. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for an hour. Prep all veggies. Ctut up the chicken, removing the bones, and skin. Place carcass into the Dutch oven Simmer for 45 minutes. train broth into a bowl, and take all meat from the carcass, and ham hock. Some people eat the chicken feet, wile others discard them. Place the broth and meat back into the pot. Debone the thigh, and add with the wings back into to pot. Dice the roasting chicken, and lightly brown in butter. Add to he pot. Season with herbs, and spices. Add veggies. Add water until the pot is nearly full. Taste nd correct the seasonings. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Make egg noodles dough. Roll out as thin as you can. Dust with flour, and roll dough into a snake. Cut snake into pencil-wide portions. Unroll noodles and add to the soup. Cook for five minutes and serve with buttered, crusty bread, or biscuits.



Intense Chicken Vegetable Soup
This recipe comes from a good friend. I told him about this cookbook that I wrote, and he excitedly asked if I would include his wife's chicken soup recipe. He stated that it’s incredible. After looking it over, and trying it, I understand why.
This soup has no noodles, no dumplings, no grains of any kind. It is simply the wonderful taste of chicken mixed with the complementary flavors of fresh vegetables and herbs. It is a soup guaranteed to please.
*
Ingredients:
1 cut up fresh chicken
2 lb. fresh chicken wings 6 quarts water, 2‑3 carrots (sliced), 2‑3 stalks celery (sliced)
1 onion (chopped)
1 cup broccoli (diced)
1 tbs. chicken bouillon
4 fresh green onions (sliced)
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery salt.
Optional: Add 2 cans diced tomatoes and 2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro.

Cover chicken with cold water and 2 tbs. of bouillon, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium (low boil) and add veggies. Continue cooking for an additional 45 minutes, then remove chicken. De‑bone chicken after it cools, and return meat to soup. Add additional water and bullion as needed (be careful; too much bullion will make it taste
salty.) Let guests salt & pepper to taste.
*
This soup is versatile. You can add additional seasonings like parsley, rosemary, oregano, bay leaf, etc. Enjoy

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[pedevowi]

Chief's Richest Chicken Soup:
Tis recipe makes the richest, amazing flavored broth, with exceptional mouth feel It takes time, and a few unusual ingredients, but is well worth the effort.

Ingredients;
2 lbs. chicken wings
1 lb. bone in chicken thighs, with skin
3 lb. roasting chicken with neck, and giblets.
1 lb. chicken feet
1 smoked ham hock
2 tsp. kosher salt
1tsp. ground sage
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 carrots, peeled, and sliced
1 large onion, rustic chop
12 oz. dice tomato
1 recipe homemade egg noodles

*
Noodles
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose white flour
2 tbs. salt
2 tbs. Sunflower or Olive oil
2 tbs. Olive oil (set aside)
2 tbs. plus 1/2 tsp. Salt

Place flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tbs. olive oil and 1/4 cup water. Stir to make a dough. Add more flour or water until the kneaded product is soft and springy, like a good bread dough. Continue kneading for five minutes.

Place thighs and wings onto a foil lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast in a 450' F oven for 20 minutes. Place the ham hock, and chicken feet into a large Dutch oven. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for an hour. Prep all veggies. Ctut up the chicken, removing the bones, and skin. Place carcass into the Dutch oven Simmer for 45 minutes. train broth into a bowl, and take all meat from the carcass, and ham hock. Some people eat the chicken feet, wile others discard them. Place the broth and meat back into the pot. Debone the thigh, and add with the wings back into to pot. Dice the roasting chicken, and lightly brown in butter. Add to he pot. Season with herbs, and spices. Add veggies. Add water until the pot is nearly full. Taste nd correct the seasonings. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Make egg Healthy Noodle dough. Roll out as thin as you can. Dust with flour, and roll dough into a snake. Cut snake into pencil-wide portions. Unroll noodles and add to the soup. Cook for five minutes and serve with buttered, crusty bread, or biscuits.



Intense Chicken Vegetable Soup
This recipe comes from a good friend. I told him about this cookbook that I wrote, and he excitedly asked if I would include his wife's chicken soup recipe. He stated that it’s incredible. After looking it over, and trying it, I understand why.
This soup has no noodles, no dumplings, no grains of any kind. It is simply the wonderful taste of chicken mixed with the complementary flavors of fresh vegetables and herbs. It is a soup guaranteed to please.
*
Ingredients:
1 cut up fresh chicken
2 lb. fresh chicken wings 6 quarts water, 2‑3 carrots (sliced), 2‑3 stalks celery (sliced)
1 onion (chopped)
1 cup broccoli (diced)
1 tbs. chicken bouillon
4 fresh green onions (sliced)
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery salt.
Optional: Add 2 cans diced tomatoes and 2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro.

Cover chicken with cold water and 2 tbs. of bouillon, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium (low boil) and add veggies. Continue cooking for an additional 45 minutes, then remove chicken. De‑bone chicken after it cools, and return meat to soup. Add additional water and bullion as needed (be careful; too much bullion will make it taste
salty.) Let guests salt & pepper to taste.
*
This soup is versatile. You can add additional seasonings like parsley, rosemary, oregano, bay leaf, etc. Enjoy

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Here is a simple recipe for hearty, healthy chicken noodle soup that you can make with your leftover chicken:

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 carrots, sliced
• 2-3 celery stalks, sliced
• 8 cups of chicken broth or stock
• 1-2 cups of egg noodles or other pasta
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, or bay leaves

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until soft.
2. Add the sliced carrots and celery to the pot and cook for another 5-7 minutes until they begin to soften.
3. Pour in the chicken broth or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the shredded chicken and pasta to the pot and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked, usually around 8-10 minutes.
5. If using fresh herbs, add them to the pot during the last few minutes of cooking.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

This recipe can be customized to your taste by adding or removing vegetables, adjusting the amount of pasta, and adding spices or herbs that you like. Enjoy your homemade chicken noodle soup!