My wife bought me a Food Network cookbook called "How to Boil Water" a few years ago. It was a little tongue-in-cheek way of saying that the recipes are pretty easy to tackle. I didn't take any offense. So last week when some friends were coming over for dinner, I asked her what recipe she would like me to make. After turning down (several) of my suggestions, she finally decided she wanted soup. That is a pretty standard response for her when it's Sunday night and the weather is cold.
So after looking through a few different soup options, she decided this chicken noodle soup sounded good. And it worked out well for me because I didn't have to fuss over it too much. Later today I plan to upload another blog of some great savory scones I made that night -- which took a bit more effort.
Start with a classic mirepoix of celery, carrots, and onion in a little butter or olive oil. Season it with salt & pepper.
If you want your soup to be a little more rustic, you can chop the vegetables larger. If you want it really smooth, you could blend everything together with an immersion blender and add some cream to it. I went for a fine dice. Cook them down until they soften and the onions become a little transparent.
In the meantime, I boiled some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in salted water with a few sprigs of thyme. When I first heard that my wife boiled chicken sometimes for enchiladas, it grossed me out. I'm not sure why -- but the thought of boiling meat sounded unappealing. Like most things, I have come to realize my wife had a point. She usually does. Boiling the chicken keeps it really moist and makes it pretty difficult to overcook. Just let them go for like 7-10 minutes, and at some point pull one out and see if it's cooked all the way through.
After letting the chicken cool a little I finely shredded it on a cutting board. Then I added it to my veggies, poured in a box of low-sodium chicken stock, a few cups of water, and seasoned it all with pepper (and a little salt). You can let this soup bubble and simmer away for a long time to let the flavors really marry. Or you can just bring it to a boil and add the pasta. Swanson already did the work for me by making a chicken broth.
We added these adorable little "Ditalini" pasta shells from Barilla, and it was good to go!
The little pasta made it kind of fun, and it was easier to eat without the risk of splattering soup all over as you slurp up longer egg noodles. The soup was quick & easy, and provided a great dish to warm us up .... and something to dip those scones into.
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