When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing better than a hot, flavorful bowl of soup to warm up your body and soul. I used to think making soup was very intimidating because in my mind, it required the exact amounts of everything to come together and taste good. I’ve since learned that this is not the case. Soup is quite flexible in terms of ingredients and seasonings, and there are oh-so-many combinations that taste great.
When my boys were little, I had trouble getting them to eat their vegetables. I worried about their health and was desperate to find a way to increase their vegetable intake. I tried all types of different vegetables prepared in different ways, and became discouraged.
One weekend, my mother-in-law made ham and vegetable soup when we went to visit her in Western Iowa. I watched my little boys gobble it up – including all of the nutritious vegetables. From that day on, I was on a mission to figure out how to make soup with vegetables!
Since that time, I’ve been continually experimenting and I’ve come up with a handful of go-to soup recipes that are a hit with my family.
My boys are much older now, and they are much better at eating their vegetables. When I ask, they both claim this Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup as their favorite. I make it regularly throughout the fall and winter, and I think it tastes even better as a leftover. Please let me know if you try out this recipe. From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!
Serves 6-8
4 T. Butter
2 onions, chopped or equivalent frozen chopped onions
4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast
24 oz. Reames Homestyle Egg Noodles (frozen)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Melt butter in a large pot. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and water, flavor with salt and pepper. Add chicken and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour and remove chicken, shred, and return to soup.
When ready to serve, add frozen egg noodles. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
