Chicken Noodles

I wish I could tell you I'm writing to you from the warmth of my cozy, mountain cabin. But alas, I'm still here in Houston. Sweating in muggy 80 degree weather.

Disappointing weather forecasts aside, I was craving comfort food last Friday night. Something hearty, savory and simple. I also had Noodles on the brain.

Years ago we hosted some close friends for Thanksgiving. We prepped a few of our family favorites, and they theirs. They introduced us to Noodles. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why noodles belonged on a Thanksgiving table, and then I ate them. And LOVED them.

Every year their family would come together and whip up a whole bunch of homemade egg noodles for the holiday. They'd cook them in chicken stock, and serve them right alongside the turkey and gravy. However, my absolute favorite... helping myself to a bowl of tasty noodles Thanksgiving evening. The house is quiet. You're feeling cozy and perhaps a bit peckish. Nothing hits the spot like a warm bowl of noodles.

So I riffed on that happy little memory and made myself a pot of Chicken Noodles.

Chicken Noodles

Ingredients

·       2 tbsp olive oil

·       ½ onion, chopped fine

·       2 celery stalks, chopped fine

·       4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

·       ½ tsp salt

·       ½ tsp ground thyme

·       ½ tsp garlic powder

·       ½ tsp black pepper

·       8-12 cups chicken stock

·       1 tbsp boullion paste

·       2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast

·       1lb fresh egg noodles (or dry)

·       Maggi or liquid seasoning

Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. Sautee the onions, celery, and carrots over medium heat. Cook until the onions are translucent and the carrots just begin to soften. Stir in the salt, thyme, garlic powder and black pepper.

Pour over about 8 cups of chicken stock and bring to a hard simmer. Swirl in the boullion paste. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the carrots are tender.

When ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil and toss in the shredded chicken and fresh egg noodles. Cook for about 3 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the noodles are cooked through. If using dry noodles, you will need to increase your cook time by about 5-7 minutes, and will likely need to add more stock. Keep your eye on the pot, if becoming to dry, simply splash in more chicken stock.

Ladle into a bowl with a healthy splash of Maggi.

Serves 4-6

Gluten Free Friendly!

I like using Taste Republic Gluten Free Linguini. Simply chop into 1-2in long strips before adding to the stew. Knorr makes a gluten free liquid seasoning.