Cold and flu season is fast approaching, along with a whole host of other things that we would rather not think about [cough] mid-terms [cough]. One of the easiest ways to combat feeling under the weather in the fall and winter — other than crawling into a hole and not reemerging until spring — is to make chicken noodle soup. Science might not be able to conclusively prove the effectiveness of this soup in fighting the common cold, but if your grandma says that it works, then why not give it a shot?
My chicken noodle soup recipe is relatively straightforward, but, that being said, there are a few things I would like to point out before getting into the nitty-gritty of things:
Unless you burn your vegetables or add way too many noodles, you can’t mess this recipe up. It is one of the beautiful things about the soup.
Make sure that you have equal amounts of the vegetables — this will give the soup a richer, more balanced flavour; don’t be afraid to add more carrots if yours are a little on the small side.
Chicken Noodle Soup
2 small onions
2–3 stalks celery
3 medium carrots
4–5 cloves of garlic
1–2 tablespoons light flavoured oil (canola or vegetable)
The cooked meat from either 2 chicken legs or 1 breast and 1 leg
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon pepper
2 cartons of chicken stock
1½ cups soup noodles (the tiny ones) or half of a bag of egg noodles
Salt to taste
Optional: a peeled 1-inch piece of ginger
1. Begin by peeling the onions and carrots and trimming and washing the celery. Dice the onions and chop the carrots and celery into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a large pot, preferably a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir occasionally, cooking for 10–15 minutes. If you are concerned about the vegetables burning, you can turn the heat to low and cook for a longer amount of time.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, finely chop the garlic and slice the ginger (if applicable) and set them aside. Separate the chicken from the bones and skin, discard whatever is not meat, and chop into small or medium sized pieces.
4. Add the chicken to the veggies and cook until warmed through. Once warmed, add the garlic and cook for about three minutes. If you lowered your heat, now would be the time to raise it back to medium.
5. Pour both cartons of chicken stock into the pot with the vegetables and the chicken.
6. Unless you are using ground herbs, take a tea ball or a coffee filter and place the thyme, sage, rosemary, and ginger (if using) inside. Close the tea ball or tie the coffee filter shut with a piece of string and drop into the pot. Add the pepper and taste before adding any salt to the pot.
7. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes then reduce the heat. Leave the pot on low for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to a maximum of an hour.
8. Increase the heat to high and add the noodles, cook them to your desired tenderness.
9. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for about a week, or you can freeze them for up to six months.
