Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I could eat soup every day during the winter. Really. Now if I could just convince Randy of that. 

In reality, he's easy to feed. He doesn't complain, though he will give subtle hints about what he prefers. He doesn't prefer peanut butter. Or lemon (unless it's in his iced tea or our family-favorite Lemonade Dessert. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I have my idiosyncrasies, too.) As you might expect from a Kansas beef producer, he prefers beef over chicken. 

But he still will eat chicken on occasion. And he doesn't complain when it makes an appearance on the menu. I love chicken and noodles in any form - over mashed potatoes, in a casserole or a soup. This Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup was a hit with both of us.

January was National Soup Month, but I don't quit making soup when the calendar flips to February (or March, for that matter). Soup always is a great warm-up when the skies are gloomy and the wind chills are hovering way below the freezing mark like they have been this week. 

It's Groundhog Day today, and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That is supposed to signify another 6 weeks of winter. If Phil is right, I guess there will be plenty of time to put this soup on your meal plan.

The recipe came from Sally's Baking Addiction. Her blog is a go-to for baking for both Jill and me, but I really hadn't seen a lot of main-dish recipes on the site. I'm glad this one caught my eye.

She used rotisserie chicken in her soup. I don't have that option at my hometown grocery store, so I just seasoned frozen chicken breasts and microwaved them. The other ingredients were all ones I had in my fridge or pantry. 

Serve with relishes, crackers and fruit. And you'll have a meal that warms you from the inside out. 

 Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

 

1 tbsp. butter

3/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup sliced or diced carrots

1 cup sliced or diced celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp. ground pepper (to taste)

1/2 tsp. ground thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

8 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups potato, diced

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped

1 cup half and half or whole milk

3-4 cups uncooked noodles (I used 3 cups)

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven (4 quart or larger) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Stir in flour and seasonings. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and diced potatoes. Stir, then increase the heat to medium high. Bring the soup to a boil, without stirring and boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow to simmer 25 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Taste the soup and add more seasonings to taste, if desired. 

 

Add the chicken, half and half and noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup has thickened. Once again, taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to taste. 

 

Refrigerate leftovers for up to a week. To reheat, you will likely need to add a little additional chicken broth (or bouillon in water) since pasta absorbs the liquid.

Makes about 12 cups of soup.

NOTES:

• For the chicken: You may use rotisserie chicken (if you have it available in your area). You could use leftover chicken or turkey. I just seasoned some frozen chicken breasts and microwaved them until done, then cut them up.
  
• Sally's Baking Addiction says to use 3 to 4 cups of WIDE egg noodles. I didn't have wide noodles. You can use regular-sized noodles or other pasta or 1 cup uncooked rice. 
• Also from Sally's - Slow Cooker Instructions: Soften the onion, carrots, celery and garlic on the stovetop, as directed in the recipe. Transfer to a slow cooker and add chicken broth. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low. Then add the potato, chicken, half/half and noodles. Cook on low an additional 1 to 2 hours. 

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WINNER, WINNER!

And now, a little bit of housekeeping: Diana Hemphill is the winner of the blogiversary gift celebrating my 13 years of Kim's County Line. She chose the notecards. Thanks to all who commented and participated!