Chicken Noodle Soup

I know parts of the country are still dealing with snow, and a lot of it! Here in Florida the temperatures couldn’t be more fabulous, high 70’s / low 80’s during the day and a low hanging somewhere around the mid 50’s in the evenings. I had my first beach day of 2011 last Saturday at Anna Maria Island and I cannot wait to get my toes back in the sand.

Now that those of you freezing your butts off officially want to strangle me, don’t think I haven’t been thinking of you! There are few things as comforting as a warm mug of cocoa or a nice hearty soup on a cold day. And while I haven’t brought you a cocoa recipe (note to self, write a cocoa recipe) I have brought you probably the best chicken noodle soup I have ever tasted. No lie, seriously, even if you think you don’t like half the ingredients listed do yourself a favor and MAKE THIS SOUP! Example, I loathe mushrooms, each and every kind too. Portobello’s, chanterelle’s, button’s…you name it I’ve tried it, and I hate them all. They’re slimy and they’re a fungus, and there is nothing you can do to change my mind. However, they lend an amazing depth of flavor to almost any dish. So while I may cook with them, I just push them to the side when it comes time to eat. So if you’re a mushroom hater like me, I encourage to throw them in there anyway…just chop them up really, really fine so you don’t feel the slimy things crawling down your throat.

On a side note, this soup freeze’s beautifully! Make a big pot for dinner tonight and store the rest of it for when Mother Nature is wreaking havoc yet again or for when you’re feeling a little under the weather. You won’t be disappointed. Just be sure to leave out the noodles and cream. After you reheat just bring it to a simmer and add them then.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 6 – 8

Now it goes without saying, any soup is going to be better when it’s made with homemade chicken stock. You can find my recipe here, but if you’re in pinch boxed low sodium broth will work as well.

12 cups homemade chicken stock or low sodium broth
2 to 3 cups of shredded pre-cooked chicken
*time saver tip, use a store bought rotisserie chicken
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, don’t forget those leafy green tops!
1 cup sliced Portobello mushrooms (or chop those suckers up really, really fine like me)
3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
1/3 cup cooking sherry
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 ½ cups dry egg noodles
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot bring 12 cups of stock or broth to a boil, add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Toss in the chopped celery and cook for another 5 minutes. Throw in the egg noodles and cook according to package directions, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the shredded chicken, mushrooms, sherry, parsley, rosemary and heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve along side and big loaf of warm, crusty french bread.