Living the Highlight: Chicken Noodle Soup

This time of year, I simply cannot get enough soup... I make a giant pot for dinner, then I package up the leftovers for lunches and a quick dinner on a busy night. And there's something about the delicious smell that fills the house on a cold night that just warms my soul :).

This week has been crazy cold here. So, last night seemed like the perfect night for a bowl of my homemade chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients:

Giant stock pot with a good, thick bottom :)
1 lb. chicken, roasted and shredded (I used tenderloins, but you could use breasts, rotisserie, etc)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 head of celery, diced
3 lbs. carrots, diced
large yellow onion, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. rosemary (and a little more if you are roasting your chicken)
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. thyme (same as the rosemary)
sea salt and pepper to taste
4-32 on. boxes of chicken stock (or make your own... I'll try to have a blog post on that some day!)
1 lb. bag of extra wide egg noodles
your favorite crackers (optional :) )

Chicken and noodles not pictured... The two most important ingredients :)).

Start by getting your chicken roasted. Typically, I buy chicken tenderloins because it makes it easier to shred later :). Just pour some olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little bit of rosemary and thyme on your roasting pan, then place your chicken tenders on top and roll them in the olive oil. They will get all coated with the yummy olive oil and herbs :). Roast at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. I didn't picture this part... Because raw chicken is not terribly photogenic :).

While that's in the oven roasting away, start chopping your veggies. Carrots first.

Then your celery.

Then your onion.

Heat your pot on medium high for a few seconds and then pour some olive oil in the bottom of your pot.

Toss in your veggies.

Salt n' pepper those bad boys.

Toss a couple bay leaves in the pot, then all your yummy herbs.

Turn the heat down to medium and sweat those veggies until they are fork tender.

When your chicken is done, shred it up with a couple forks. Yum.

Toss the chicken in the pot.

Add all four boxes of chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Before you add the noodles, fish out those bay leaves... they've done all they can do. Good work, boys.

Now it's time for the noodles.... mmmm.

Stir and stand by... You DO NOT want those noodles to over cook. In fact, I pull the pot off the hot burner when they are still kinda crunchy and let them finish cooking off the heat. That way, they stay al dente (aka, yummy, not mushy :) ).

Once you pull the pot off the heat, let it sit for just a minute or two before you dish it out.

Load up that bowl with delicious goodness.