Grilled Chicken Noodle Soup
Something happens when the leaves change and I get to break out my thicker sweaters: I just want to surround myself in a cocoon of coziness. I start browsing for more blankets and socks to add to my growing collection. I squeal at finding new mugs for all the tea, hot chocolate, and coffee I never drink but always aspire to. I hoard DVDs and books that I find in the weekly deals sections of Target and Amazon. Fall to me signifies a need for comfort. And what is more comforting, I ask you, than chicken noodle soup?
Growing up, piping hot bowls of Campbell’s classic chicken noodle soup got me through many cold nights. If you’ve never been to Wisconsin in the winter months, it is frigid, bone-chilling, dark, and endlessly snowy. The vast sea of pure white snow on a still evening can be calming, but on a windy night, one gust of iciness hitting your cheeks will make you question for the millionth time why anyone would ever leave their home for 6-9 months out of the year Then the summer rolls around and you fall in love with the lake and the beach and the countless outdoor festivals all over again, and you forget, as you always do, what happens when the leaves start to change and frosty nights take hold. New England’s fall and winter months are a walk in the park compared to what I grew up with, but a moderately chilly night still brings back memories of needing to warm up with my favorite soup. And while Campbell’s chicken noodle will always hold a special place in my heart, these days, when I want a pick-me-up soup, I make my own.
I started making different versions of this soup a few years ago using a large rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store, but the recent realization that grilling chicken on my trusty cast iron grill pan would add a lovely depth of flavor, made me want to ditch the store-bought bird forever. It might seem like an unnecessary step to grill the chicken and shred it instead of buying meat that’s already been cooked, but I promise that going the extra mile will make a HUGE difference, especially in the following days when the flavors have had an opportunity to chill in the fridge and meld together even more. It is, in a word, utter bliss (that was two words).
Packed with fresh vegetables, soft egg noodles, and slightly smokey chicken from the grill pan, this hearty and nourishing grilled chicken noodle soup is perfect for all the fall and winter weeknights to come!
Grilled Chicken Noodle Soup
What You’ll Need:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating chicken
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 medium carrots, peeled and with the ends removed, cut into circles
6 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
Coarse kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1.5 lb chicken tenderloins
Directions
Make the soup
In a large pot such as a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, chili powder, 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and cook, stirring often, until the carrots have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, then bay leaf, and let it come to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 45 minutes.
Cook the noodles
While the soup is simmering, add the noodles to a heavily-salted pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain into a colander and rinse with a little bit of lukewarm water to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together. Set aside.
Cook the chicken
Preheat a medium grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes.
Using a pastry brush, brush olive oil on both sides of each chicken tenderloin. Season both sides of the chicken liberally with coarse kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Cook chicken pieces two at a time, flipping often, until cooked all the way through, about 5-8 minutes.
Set cooked chicken on a large plate or clean cutting board to rest for 2-3 minutes before shredding. Set aside.
Bring it all together
Bring the soup base back up to medium-low heat. Carefully add the cooked noodles and shredded chicken, and more kosher salt and black pepper to season. Stir to combine, making sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed around the pot. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes to bring everything up to the same temperature.
Fish out and discard the bay leaf.
Serve.
Optional: Add a few sprigs of thyme on top of each bowl as a garnish and serve soup with crusty bread, homemade croutons, or saltine crackers.
TO STORE: Cooled soup can be stored in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
SOURCE: Adapted from Cravings