Chicken Noodle Soup for the Win!

I do not like chicken noodle soup. Aside from the Campbell’s of my childhood, which my mother used to say they waved a chicken over since there was so little chicken in the actual soup! When I was a St. Mary’s for grade school, the cook would make pb&j sandwiches with Campbell’s chicken noodle soup. I always liked that. However, when mom home made chicken soup, I was not a fan. I preferred beef soup. I finally figured out why.

Chicken, as opposed to beef, has a very mild flavor. That’s why people say “Tastes like chicken!” about everything from snake to alligator. I wouldn’t know, since I’ve never had snake nor alligator. I have, however, eaten lots of chicken. My apologies to the vegans and vegetarians out there. So, in making my soup, I needed to find some flavor. My mother preferred garlic. I do not.

So, I set out on my chicken-noodle soup journey with spicing in mind. Here is what I came up with:

One medium sized stock pot (about 6 – 8 quarts)

3 – 4 pounds bone-in chicken (you may use six thighs, as I did, a whole chicken, or parts thereof, as long as it has the bones. You want that lovely bone broth!

2 medium sized onions, peeled, quartered, and sliced

1 gallon water

2 Tbsp. turmeric (the secret ingredient!!!)

3 Tbsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cans petite diced tomatoes in their juices

1 lb. of gf dry brown rice noodles (I used elbows, but have used fussili in the past.)

Start by placing the chicken or chicken parts in the stockpot with the sliced onions. Pour the gallon of water over the chicken and start cooking it over medium – high heat. Keep an eye on it that it does not boil over and let it simmer with the lid on, until the chicken is falling off the bones (about 2 – 3 hours.)

Pull the chicken out of the pot and let rest on a plate to cool. To the pot add the turmeric, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and noodles. Turn heat down to low and stir occasionally until noodles are plump and cooked through (about 10 minutes.)

When the chicken is cool, debone it. Take the meat that you removed from the bones, ripping it into bite-sized pieces, and put it back in the pot. Stir together with the broth mixture and enjoy.

This week child #4 caught a cold and, generous her, she shared it! So, I was looking for something hearty and soothing for her sore throat and also to kick out the cold. Chicken noodle soup for the win it was! Child #2 especially appreciated it, when she came down with the cold! Hope you are all staying healthy and that you love this chicken noodle soup as much as we do!