Description

Kick your classic homemade chicken noodle soup up a delicious notch by loading it up with loads of fresh Italian herbs. (Suggestions included below for dried herbs, too, in case fresh herbs are not available!)

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, ends trimmed and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
8 cups (64 ounces) good-quality chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh rosemary*
3 sprigs fresh thyme*
1 sprig fresh sage*
6 ounces wide egg noodles
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
salt and pepper
1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup loosely-packed chopped (or julienned) fresh basil

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Instructions

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and celery and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the carrots are softened a bit, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add chicken stock, rosemary, thyme and sage, and gently stir until combined. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in the egg noodles and chicken. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until the egg noodles are al dente. (The longer they cook, the more broth they will soak up. Feel free to add more chicken stock if needed.)
Remove and discard the rosemary, thyme, and sage sprigs (no worries if some of the leaves have dropped off). Taste the soup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm, garnished with extra black pepper, fresh parsley and fresh basil.

Notes

*Ok, so the fresh herb types/amounts here are just a rough suggestion. If you only have access to a few, go with what you have and just add more/less to taste. (And keep in mind that the size of fresh herb sprigs varies widely, so add more/less to taste.) ??

If you do not have access to fresh herbs, in general you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs for 1 tablespoon fresh herbs. (Basically a 1:3 ratio.)

Other herbs that would taste fantastic in this soup could include: tarragon and oregano. I also like adding in a pinch of crushed red pepper to help bring out the flavors in this soup.