The deep freeze has finally hit my area of the country, and my family and I are looking for ways to warm up, body and soul. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than a hearty soup for supper. It’s cozy and comforting when the weather outside is frightful! Hearty and Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup can be thrown together in a matter of minutes and ready to serve up steaming bowls in an hour or less. This is the perfect, midweek, comfort food!
Hearty and Healthy Chicken Noodle SoupĀ Recipe…
I have made Hearty and Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup twice in the last week. Yes, we like it that well! I’m glad I wrote down the ingredients I used the first time so it wasn’t a guessing game this week. š There is no fancy sautĆ©ing of veggies. Once everything is chopped, it is mixed together in a large dutch oven and brought to a boil. The simmering liquid poaches the frozen chicken tenderloins and boils the vegetables, and in the end, cooks the noodles.
I use low sodium, fat-free chicken broth as the soup base and chicken breast tenderloins as the meat. Both are healthy and flavorful. I also like to cut my carrots and celery pieces into pieces that fit nicely on a soup spoon. The chunks aren’t huge, but it makes the soup have more substance. This is especially important, in my opinion, when serving the soup as a main dish.
Notice the larger noodles? These also add a lot of body to an otherwise thin soup. These Dumpling Egg Noodles areĀ found with the other noodles in your grocery isle. Homemade noodles are excellent here, too! My favorite part about Hearty and Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup is that I can cook the chicken along with everything else. I don’t even bother thawing the meat…it just gets poached with the veggies. After checking each piece with a meat thermometer for doneness, I use two forks to shred the meat. As you can tell by the above picture, the pieces are bite-size, yet hearty.
I hope you enjoy Hearty and Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup! If you like soups, you might want to read my post on Slow Cooker White Bean Stew or Creamy Baked Potato Soup. Both are great for cold winter nights.
Enjoy the winter season, and I pray for a healthy and happy Christmas for you and your family! Be well!
Notes
Mushrooms could be added to this as well, though wait to add to the soup until adding the noodles to prevent over cooking.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken tenderloins
- 1 chopped onion
- 3 carrots, washed, peeled, and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 3 stalks celery, washed and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 t. Beau Monde seasoning
- 2 t. Kosher salt
- 1/2 t. black pepper
- 2 quarts water
- 1 quart chicken broth, preferably low sodium
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-5 c. dumpling egg noodles
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, add all ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Turn down heat to low and simmer until chicken tests 165 degrees or more with a meat thermometer.
- Remove chicken from soup and shred using two forks. Remove any extra skin or pieces of fat or gristle.
- Add shredded chicken back into soup and bring to a boil.
- Stir in egg noodles and cook until tender, 15 or so minutes.
- Soup may be turned to low and kept hot until ready to serve.