Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

I’ve been sick for over a month now, and have been getting worse lately rather than better, so I finally went to the doctor yesterday to get some medicine. (I’m stubborn about sickness, and only went to the doctor because my mom told me to). He diagnosed both a sinus infection and bronchitis, which were followed this morning by a bad reaction to the antibiotics (fun!).

The combination pretty much wrecked my day and kept me from going to a party I had really been looking forward to attending. The one upside is that I was motivated, after about six hours of groaning pathetically on the couch, to make myself some chicken noodle soup. It’s the first time I’ve ever made it, and it was awesome, so I thought I would share my recipe.

I’m a picky eater and don’t usually like soups, the exceptions being chicken noodle, tomato, and potato/leek. So if you have a picky eater in the house, you’ll see I’ve made notes for adapting it to his/her tastes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (for those of us who’d rather not deal with a chicken carcass while sick)
2 strips of bacon (uncooked)
2 large cloves of garlic
½ a large onion
3 tablespoons of butter
Carrots
Green beans
Frozen peas
Chicken stock, 32 oz. (I like the Kitchen Basics brand—it’s very flavorful)
Pasta (use whichever kind is the majority favorite—I used angel hair)
1/8 cup half n half
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt (I hate black pepper, but add it if you like it)
Other herbs to taste (I used dill, because I like it, but you can use whatever you want)

This recipe will easily feed a family of four, more if you double the amount of chicken stock (which most people will want to do). It is simple to make this dairy free--just substitute olive oil for the butter and leave out the half and half and cheese. You could make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock and leaving out the chicken, and by adding miso or potatoes if you wish.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow glass dish and top with the bacon strips. [Picky eaters may not like the flavor of the bacon, which is strong. But I would wager most men will love it. Use it or don’t, whichever works for you.] Cook the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter over medium heat in whatever pot you’ll be using for the soup. Add the garlic (I put it through a garlic press because I don’t like chunks, but you can just smash or dice it if you’d rather) and lower the heat so it doesn’t burn. Chop the onion (I like it in small squares) and add it to the pan. Chop the carrots (I chopped them roughly in a food processor, which was quick and easy). The amount of carrots depends on how much you like carrots. I used about ¾ of a bag of baby carrots. Once the onions are mostly translucent, add the carrots and cover. (Keep an eye on it though, or it may burn). If you want to use other vegetables like celery and potatoes, add those now as well. This was also the stage at which I added fresh dill. Once the carrots are slightly softened, add the chicken stock and any herbs you’ve chosen. This soup comes out pretty dense, more like a stew, so if you want it to be more soupy, increase the amount of chicken stock (doubling it will make it a more traditional chicken soup consistency). Let this simmer for a while on low heat, stirring occasionally. Put a pot of water (for the pasta) on the stove so it has time to come to a boil.

By now, the chicken should be done. Take it out of the oven and chop it up. I again used the food processor, because I like things small and shredded rather than in chunks, but go with your family’s preference. (I finished cooking the bacon in a small frying pan and then gave some to my dog, who was half crazed by the yummy smells emanating from the kitchen. You could save it and sprinkle it on top of the soup or just nibble on it while you cook.) Add the chicken to the soup. Stir it around for a while and season as needed. Add the half and half if you are using it, stir. Add the green beans (frozen chopped green beans work best here).

You will want the pasta to be almost ready by now. I use the fresh kind you get in the grocery store (it’s refrigerated) because the angel hair cooks in under a minute, which is awesome. If you went with a longer cooking kind, you’ll want to put it in the water earlier in the process. I cook the pasta separately because this keeps it from getting overcooked and mushy in the soup pot and is also great for allowing picky eaters to choose their own pasta-to-soup ratio. Add the green peas to the soup (again, the frozen kind work best). When your pasta is finished cooking, drain it and put it to one side. Once the peas look cooked through, your soup is ready!

Put however much pasta people want into the bowls and ladle the soup over top. Stir it together in the individual bowls, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese, and enjoy!