In the time since my last post, life has taken a different shape than we could have expected. We didn’t buy a house in Dallas, but rather up and moved to Houston. Bob got a new job, we packed our lives into hundreds of boxes, and landed in our current rental. Uprooted, disheveled, grumpy. We are not graceful movers.
I’ve been making lots of comfort food to heal a little bit of the wound that a big change brings. Breakfasts of pancakes and bacon, dinners of meatloaf, and soups coming out our ears. Here’s a chicken noodle soup recipe I whip together when we’ve got a case of the Mondays {like today}. The ingredients are all approximate, based on what we like. That said, if you like a very noodley soup, add more egg noodles. If you like it particularly brothy, add some more of that. Be yourself!
Mel’s chicken noodle soup
1 rotisserie chicken {precooked, store bought}
1 bag egg noodles
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
salt & pepper to taste
8 C chicken broth {I use Orrington Farms Broth Base, which I think makes all the difference}
In a large stockpot, pour a couple good-sized glugs of olive oil. If you’re a numbers person, shoot for 3 Tbsp. Saute the vegetables in the oil over medium-low heat, until soft {the onions will be mostly transparent}. In the same pot, add the chicken broth, the herbs, salt and pepper, a few generous handfuls of egg noodles. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer until the egg noodles are soft. Once the noodles have cooked, you can turn off the heat. The longer you let it sit, the better the flavors intertwine. Remove the bay leaves, then add as much chicken {skin removed} as you like. Give it a few good stirs and serve with a big ol’ salad and a basket of bread. Cheers, friends.
