Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is one of the easiest and most comforting foods around.  I was always a big fan of any soup that was chicken flavored be it Campbell's, Chef Swagger, Maruchan - you name it.  While canned soup is a staple in many homes, I've grown to prefer a "from scratch" version done up in a slow-cooker because I can throw most of the stuff in and leave it to deal with later.  Making it from scratch allows me to control the veggie to chicken ratio as well as salt content.


You will need:


-2 32 oz. cartons low sodium chicken stock*
-1 cup water
-4 ribs celery, sliced
-2 cloves garlic, diced
-1/2 lb string beans, cleaned (stems and odd ends removed)
-1 can corn, drained and rinsed
-1 large carrot, peeled quartered and diced**
-1 medium onion, diced
-2 large sprigs (should have 4-5 stalks) thyme
-2 sage leaves
-1/4 lb spaghetti noodles***
-2 tbsp butter
-salt and pepper to taste
-fresh tomato, seeded and diced
-fresh grated Parmesan cheese
-sliced green onion
-Your choice of chicken - You can use canned chunk or breast meat but I prefer leg and thigh meat for a more rustic take and flavor.  Besides, its cheaper


Put your slow cooker on high and add your fresh veggies.  Tie your herbs together with kitchen twine and toss it into the slow cooker (tying them together saves you from having to fish out individual stalks). Cover and allow to cook until vegetable are tender (if you plan to have it on for 8hrs or more, put it on low).  If you are using fresh chicken, cook it through and allow to cool before dicing. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a medium frying pan, melt 2 butter on medium-high. Break up spaghetti into three pieces and add to pan.  Allow to cook until mostly browned and then add to boiling water. Cook till al dente, drain. Turn off slow cooker and remove your herb bundle. Add your diced chicken, corn and noodles and allow to heat through - about 10 - 15 minutes.  Serve hot sprinkled with tomato, green onion and Parmesan and a side of crusty bread.

Enjoy!


*It is entirely possible to use your own chicken stock, I just never have that much on hand.  Chicken stock is basically chicken soup with all the chunky parts left out. When I make it, its usually after I've just butchered a chicken. Take the chicken carcass and giblets, put them in a large pot with celery, carrot, onion, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.  Cover it with water, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about an hour to an hour and half.  Allow to cool slightly on the stove then strain into a container.  You can also make a lot of it before hand and freeze it in plastic containers so you have it available whenever.

**I use one carrot because I'm not a big fan of them.

***Browning the noodles brings out a nice nutty flavor.  If you don't want to use spaghetti you can always use just about any other noodle.  I've used alphabets, stars, bowtie, etc.  I also advise cooking the pasta outside of the soup because if you cook it in the soup, the starch will cause it to cloud and thicken a bit. Its also difficult to gauge when the noodles will be done when making in a slow-cooker.