Jen’s Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This is one of our favorite soups! It takes a while to make, but is worth the effort. It makes a ton and is very good reheated after being in the refrigerator or freezer. I made this last week and I used chicken thighs instead of breasts and it turned out great, it was just a big greasier.


Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped (if I do not have any onions, I use a bag of Seasoning Blend, I always have this in my freezer)
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds or 1 small bag of baby carrots, cut up if you like
1 small bag/package of frozen peas
4 chicken bouillon cubes, broken up
2-3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (same with the onions, if I do not have any celery, I use a bag of Seasoning Blend, this has onions, celery, and peppers in it)
1 - 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
3-4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
2 or 3 chicken breasts with skin and bone(the skin adds flavor) (6-7lb)
49 oz chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth
1 quart cold water, or as needed
4 sprigs of fresh parsley or 1-2T of dried parsley
3 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp if it is already minced
1-2 tsp garlic powder (optional, depends on how much garlic you like)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1-2 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6-12 oz medium egg noodles (depends on how much you want)
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish



Directions:

Cut up all of your veggies in advance. Rinse and cut the chicken breasts in half leaving the skin and bones. Cut through the bones. If there are any pads of yellow fat in the tail area, do not remove them.

Heat the oil in a broth pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, potatoes, and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes.
(This step is optional, I only do this if I am in a hurry and want the soup to be done sooner. Most of the time I just throw the veggies in with the chicken right away, I am usually not in a hurry and let my soup simmer most of the day so the veggies are very soft by the time we eat.)

Add the chicken to the pot and pour in the broth. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, bouillon cubes, and bay leaf.

Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, about 2 hours.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. If using fresh springs remove and discard the parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Let stand 5 minutes and degrease the soup.

Discard the chicken skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces or shred.

Add the noodles and peas and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Stir the meat back into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot and with French bread (to soak up juice).

This soup can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months.

**Just remember that the noodles will soak up juice, so if you do not want it thicker you may have to add water or chicken broth to it if it sets in the fridge for a couple days. I personally like it both ways.


Yield: 12 to 14 servings