There is something so comforting about a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. It’s like a big hug for your body, completely curing it from its ailments. That’s exactly what this soup is. It’s warm, it’s hearty, and it’s full of so much flavour that you will forget while slurping through your second bowl, that it’s actually pretty good for you!!
I first made this soup last winter when my husband was suffering from what sounded like a pretty serious case of man flu. I think part of the healing qualities of this soup comes through making it for someone. It’s the extra bit of effort and the thought that makes it way better than store bought could ever hope to be.
Not to mention the flavour of course. You can’t fake real chicken. And for the soup pictured, I decided to make the most of that natural chicken flavour and make my own stock. The whole process was much easier than I had expected, it just requires a little time.
This soup is perfect made the night after a big chicken roast. To make the stock, I removed any remaining meat from the bone and set aside (this was then chopped and used later in the soup). In a large stock pot I placed the chicken carcass, the top leafy green part of a bunch of celery as well as 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic and 2 carrots all roughly chopped (this will be strained so don’t worry about peeling any of the veggies). I then covered everything in water and placed on the stove letting it come to the boil before turning it down to a very low heat to slowly simmer for 4 hours. I kept it covered for the middle 2 hours as I didn’t want it to reduce too much.
Once the stock was done I passed it through a fine sieve so I had just the remaining liquid. This was then set aside until I needed it for the soup. Any excess can be frozen in ice cube trays.
This is a pretty easy soup to make. You start with carrots, celery and onion in your stock pot, adding in garlic and spices making your house smell amazing. Then it’s time for the stock, store bought or home-made, and letting that reduce and infuse with all the flavours. Pasta and some water goes in next, and finally the chopped chicken.
That is really all to it. As it bubbles away on the stove you will start to feel better already. The chilli is warming, it kick starts your metabolism and clears your sinus. Turmeric is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, just really an all round healthy spice. The pasta, well that is just there to fill you up because when you’re sick carbs are 100% needed.
With the temperatures dropping, this chicken noodle soup is the perfect remedy to those cold nights. Best enjoyed with a Netflix marathon to ensure a full recovery!
Healthy & Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 4 medium carrots
- 4-5 stalks of celery
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- bay leaf
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 6 cups chicken stock*
- 2 cups small spiral pasta
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken+
- 2-4 cups water
Instructions
- Finally dice onion, celery & carrot. Heat oil in a large stock pot over high heat and add diced veggies. Saute until soft.
- Add garlic and spices, saute until fragrant.
- Add chicken stock, salt and bay leaf, and turn heat to low. Let soup simmer for 30minutes to an hour until it has reduced slightly and flavours have increased. Ensure pot is stirred occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom.
- Add dry pasta to soup and about 2 cups of water. Let pasta cook in the soup for about 15 minutes.
- Add in cooked chicken to heat. Taste and add more salt to taste if required. The soup should be thick but add more water if needed.
Notes
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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