This smooth chicken noodle soup achieves a harmonious blend of creaminess and lightness, enriched by the incorporation of potato, aromatic thyme, oregano, and the convenience of pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. The recipe provides the flexibility to be prepared either on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, as elaborated in the accompanying note.
Duration
- Preparation: 30 minutes
- Cooking: 40 minutes
- Total: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 12 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (100g) diced yellow onion (equivalent to half a large onion)
- One cup (120g) of carrots, cut into pieces (one or two large carrots, or a handful of small carrots)
- 1 cup (120g) celery, chopped or sliced (with 2-3 stalks)
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (measured with a spoon and leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
- One teaspoon fresh or half a teaspoon of dried oregano
- 8 cups (1.92 liters) chicken broth (preferably reduced sodium)
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 1 and 1/2 cups or 280g)
- 2 cups (about 250g) shredded or chopped pre-cooked chicken
- 1 cup (240ml) half-and-half or whole milk
- 3–4 cups (about 112-150g) uncooked wide egg noodles (or alternative dry pasta, see note first)
- Optional for garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Instructions:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven (4 quarts or larger), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and potato. Stir, then increase the heat to medium-high, bringing the soup to a boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes soften. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Introduce the chicken, half-and-half/milk, and noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve hot.
Leftovers:
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat on the stove over medium heat. Add more chicken broth if needed.
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating on the stove.
- Note: The soup thickens in the refrigerator; adjust the consistency with more broth if necessary.
- Special Tools: Dutch oven
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Refer to the note for step-by-step slow cooker directions.
- Flavor Tip: Enhance the flavor by adding a squeeze of fresh lemon during the last few minutes of the cooking time.
