I am not a big fan of Chicken Noodle Soup. In fact, it is probably one of the last soups I would ask for on a cold rainy day, or even on a day where I am feeling ill. But that is most likely due to the fact that most versions of this soup are full of limp, mushy noodles, and I detest mushy noodles.
My version of this soup is exactly the opposite!
It is the perfect comfort food, and I invite you to try it out! In fact, this is one of my soup's that my Hubby asks for when he's craving a warm bowl of deliciousness.
Ingredients
7 Chicken Breasts
11 Celery Stalks, sliced thin
1 16 oz bag Mini Carrots, sliced thin
2 cartons (32 oz) Chicken Broth
1 tub Knorr Homestyle Stock Chicken
3 Chicken bouillon cubes
1 tbs Ground Rosemary
1 tbs Ground Tarragon
1 cup Water
4 cups Water
1 12 oz bag Wide Egg Noodles
1st cook time - 6-8 hours
2nd cook time - 4-6 hours
Step One
Put your chicken breasts in the crockpot, cover with water and set it on High. Let cook for 6-8 hours. When it's done, dump the pot into a large strainer. Clean your crockpot out and then shred your chicken into the newly cleaned crockpot. Remove any fat, because well, fat is disgusting.
- Note: I start my chicken cooking as early in the morning as I can, or overnight, since the second cooking time is almost as long as the first. DO NOT cook your raw chicken with the veggies and other ingredients, no matter how tempting it is to hasten the process. It's a bit unsafe.
Step Two
While your chicken is cooking, cut up your celery and carrots. Now, my Hubby loves celery and the carrots, well, not so much. So I actually only put in 1/2 a bag of carrots. You can always adjust the amounts of the vegetables to suit your tastes. You can even add other veggies if you want! Heck, make it your own!
Step Three
Dissolve your bouillon cubes and your tub of Knorr broth in 1 cup water in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and then dump into the pot with the shredded chicken. Add all your other ingredients, EXCEPT the noodles. (Don't put them in there, just don't do it! I promise, it will be awesome without them!) Stir, then place the lid, set your crockpot on High and let it cook for another 4-6 hours. The length depends on how tender you want your veggies.
- Note: We could not find ground rosemary or tarragon. So we bought crushed rosemary and tarragon leaves and my superhuman Hubby spent a half hour grinding them himself! Awesome, isn't he? Now, if you don't mind eating them in their natural state then don't worry about grinding them, but trust me, it's much more pleasant to eat ground spices. They blend better.
Step Four
About 30 minutes before your soup is done, cook your noodles according to the package directions. Drain well.
Step Five
Get ready for some home-cooked goodness! Let your family or guests dish up their own noodle portions in bowls, then have them add the chicken soup over the top, creating your own custom Chicken Noodle Soup! Serve with crackers and enjoy!
- Note: Cooking the noodles separate maintains their texture, while giving you the ability to adjust the amount of noodles to soup ratio that you prefer. (Did I mention that I detest mushy noodles?) Store them in separate bowls, and simply join them together when reheating.
No comments:
Post a Comment