CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

You can be pretty flexible on the veggie amounts. You could easily use more or less and be fine. Also, part of what makes it taste good is homemade chicken stock, but you could still get decent results with store bought. 

If you a using a store bought rotisserie chicken, just skip the step where you brown the chicken. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded or cubed chicken to the soup while the noodles cook.

Also, this recipe is a creamy chicken noodle. If you prefer a more broth-y noodle soup, just omit the butter and flour at the end.

serves 6-8

1 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. butter
1 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
About 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken, breasts or thighs or combo of both
8 cups (2 quarts) chicken stock, homemade is best
Soup noodles, however much you want
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, heat the oil and butter and sauté the onion, carrot, and celery over medium to medium-low heat until softened. Be careful not to burn the onion. Increase heat to medium-high and add your chicken. Brown on both sides and then add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and poach the chicken in the broth until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts and/or thighs. Do not let the soup boil too hard or you will make your chicken tough--just a gentle simmer. When chicken is cooked through, remove it to a plate and let cool for a few minutes, then either shred or cut into bite-size pieces. Keep soup at a simmer and then add the soup noodles.

While the noodles cook, make a roux by melting the 1/4 cup butter over medium heat in a separate small saucepan. Once it is melted, add the flour and stir quickly to fully incorporate. Cook, stirring constantly to avoid overcooking the roux, for about two minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until the noodles are cooked through.

Once the noodles are cooked, add the roux to the soup. Stir to incorporate fully and bring to a simmer to let the roux thicken the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve and enjoy!