Is there anything more comforting on a cold day than a warm bowl of soup? My youngest sous-chef says her favorite food is soup. Really doesn’t matter which kind, but if asked, “Chicken Noodle!” is almost always what will come out of her mouth. Ergo, the other day she asked for Chicken Noodle Soup since we had leftovers from a roast chicken I made earlier this week. Chilly, gray out and maybe I heard a sniffle or two? Done. Read on for a super easy and very delicious homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

Recipe

• 1 leftover chicken including bones (can sub in bone-in wings/thighs/breasts/etc) meat removed (about 2-3 lbs)
• 1 small onion – cut in rings
• 1 small onion – diced
• 3 carrots – 2 diced and 2 roughly cut in pieces
• 3 celery stalks – 2 diced and 2 roughly cut in pieces.
• 4 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 bouquet garni
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 oz noodles – I like to use precooked Udon or Ramen to make things easier

Using a large stock pot, add the chicken (clean the meat off first), onion rings, rough cut carrots and celery, garlic, bay leaves and bouquet garni. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes then simmer for 15 more. I prefer to simmer the liquid for an hour to bring out more flavor but feel free to only cook for 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry! Also, if the broth is evaporating too quickly, add water by the 1/2 cup.

Strain out the chicken bones, vegetables and bouquet garni. To the pot add in the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Then toss in the chicken meat. Test the broth and add salt and pepper to taste. I usually add a few tablespoons depending on how much salt/flavor was in the original chicken. I never add the salt first because of this – no one likes chicken noodle salt! This is also the stage where you can add more fresh or dried herbs if you feel the soup needs a bit of a punch. Once you have the broth to your liking, add in the noodles and bring to a soft boil to warm up all the ingredients.

Then – ladle into bowls and enjoy! This soup will last for about 4 days (depending on how old your chicken was) and freezes beautifully.

Bon Appetit!