The idea of making my own soup always seemed very intimidating to me. I had always figured that there were a million steps and techniques used just to make the broth, so I had always made it a point to steer clear of making soups. Avoiding soups had been totally fine until I had to sell my husband on why we needed to buy the Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven. Trying to recall all tips and tricks from the Food Network and cookbooks I had read, I came up with a recipe for rotisserie chicken noodle soup.
That recipe I spouted off on the fly did the trick (thank goodness!). I ended up getting the dutch oven and putting the recipe to the test. With a little tweaking, I was able to create a flavor-packed soup that was super easy and according to my husband "tastes better than the chicken noodle soup at XXX grocery store." I considered that to be a huge win and so I wanted to share this latest creation. Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is the chopping involved during prep. Remember- recipes do not need to be ultra difficult to taste delicious.
Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients
- 5c Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 2c Water
- 1 Cooked Rotisserie Chicken (Skin Removed and diced into 1/2in cubes) *dark and white meat can be used
- 2 Whole Dried Bay Leaves + 1 Fresh Bay Leaf (Sliced in Half)
- Poultry Blend Fresh Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme and Sage) tied together with a piece of kitchen string (my version of a "Bouquet Garni"- in case you were wondering, here is a link to a traditional bouquet garni)
- 1c Coarsely Chopped Carrot
- 1c Coarsely Chopped Celery + 3Tbs chopped celery leaves
- 1 Diced Yellow Onion
- 3 Cloves minced Garlic
- 1tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 Bag Orichette Pasta Cooked a little "al dente"
- 1 Rind of Parmesan Block
- 3Tbs Olive Oil
- Fresh Baby Spinach (optional)
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) heat 3 TBS of olive oil on medium to medium-high heat.
- Add the 3 Cloves of freshly minced garlic and let cook for about a minute
- Add 1 diced yellow onion and cook until almost translucent (3-5minutes)
- Add Celery, Celery Leaves and Carrots and cook for another 3-5 minutes
- Add Stock and Water to the pot and bring back up to a boil then reduce to a simmer
- Once at a simmer add in bay leaves, rind of parmesan cheese block, fresh herb bouquet garni, cumin and about 1/4tsp freshly cracked pepper
- Cover and let simmer for approximately 15min
- Add Orichette Pasta and Chicken, stir, cover and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Once the soup is done simmering, add salt and pepper to taste
- Remove Bouquet Garni, Parmesan Cheese Rind and Bay Leaves
- Serve in bowl over fresh baby spinach (the heat from the soup will cause the spinach to wilt and keep its bright green color) **Optional**
- Grate fresh parmesan cheese over the top of each bowl and serve with a piece of toasted rustic bread drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil