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
- 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
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.