Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is conic for a reason.

When autumn calls, there is nothing like a pot of hearty chicken noodle soup, and a bowl of this seems to be able to banish colds as they start. I especially like to serve some up during the first week of school as a tonic to all the new-people germs, even though school starts before Labor Day more often than not these days.

I’ve included some notes at the bottom for make-ahead options for the ingredients, which cuts the overall cooking time down considerably.

Ingredients 

Base

1 c. chopped celery

1 c diced onion (about one medium or half a large)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons oregano

1/2 cup red lentils

Soup

4 c broth plus 2 c water (broth can be made with bullion, or you can just use water for the whole thing)

2-3 carrots, diced

2-3 new potatoes, chopped

Cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (can be simmered covered in water for an hour in advance and then drained and stored in the fridge)

1 c or so hearty egg noodles

Chopped parsley, optional

Directions

1. If you haven’t cooked the chicken yet, set it in a pan so that the breasts are single layer and covered in water. Bring to a simmer slowly and cook for about an hour.
2. Coat the bottom of your soup pan with olive oil and set the pan over medium heat. Add the base ingredients to the oil and cover. Let cook until the onions are transparent, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. 
3. While the base is simmering, chop the carrots and potatoes. Add to the pan and adjust the seasoning as desired. Pour in 4 c broth (or water) and stir to combine. Let simmer to combine the flavors, at least 20 minutes. It’s fine to let this simmer until the chicken breasts are done cooking.
4. Chop the cooked chicken into cubes (or shred it) and add to the pot, stirring to combine. Add the remaining water and bring to a low boil. 
5. Add the noodles and stir. Let boil for about ten minutes to cook the noodles, then reduce heat (or turn the heat off). 
6. Stir in the parsley, if you haven’t already. Let stand a bit to marry.
7. Serve with fresh crusty bread and a glass of milk.

Equipment

I make this in a 4.5 quart enameled cast iron soup pan, but any heavy stock pot or Dutch oven will do.

Wooden Spoon

Good chef’s knife for chopping