Chicken soup is good for the soul, and this hearty chicken soup recipe is perfect for a cozy dinner for two.
There are two secrets to this recipe: the chicken stock and white wine.
Homemade Chicken Stock
I want you to take a good look at the broth in this picture.
You might say hey, that’s beef broth, isn’t it?
No, my dears, it is most definitely not. It’s Mr. Alexander’s Special Chicken Stock. I will give you the secret recipe in a future post, but I can say that this stock is ah-maze-ing. It is rich in flavor and depth, can be stored in your freezer, and generally makes everything better. Like bacon.
If you don’t have Mr. Alexander’s Special Chicken Stock on hand (we always have some in our freezer), you can use any chicken stock, though I would recommend a high quality unsalted stock.
I say unsalted because it allows you to adjust your recipes accordingly. As an example, I have high blood pressure and have to watch my salt intake. Mr. Alexander doesn’t (which drives me nuts). So we salt sparingly during cooking so he can add what he would like at the table.
Twenty years of marriage is all about the compromise.
Also, you’ll note in the original picture that there was no chopped garlic. Well, that’s because I forgot to get it out until I was ready to add it to the pan. Too late then!
You’ll find that happens frequently in my posts. I figure that’s just real life.
Sweat Your Vegetables
You could just add all the ingredients at once, I suppose, but you won’t achieve much depth–plus, your carrots will not be cooked. Melding the flavors is what makes a good soup.
Start with just the carrots, celery, and garlic. A trifecta of goodness similar to mirepoux in French cuisine.
In this recipe, like mirepoux, you are not sauteeing the veggies. You are sweating them to release juices, cook them down until translucent (well, the celery, anyway), and start building flavors.
Though I do recommend waiting just until the pan begins to brown (though not the veg!) and then add the wine to deglaze the pan.
Deglazing a pan always makes such a lovely sizzling sound!
This recipe doesn’t call for more than an 1/8 of a cup of dry white wine. If you don’t have a bottle open, it’s a good excuse to open one!
Add The Remaining Ingredients
Let the wine cook down until it is nearly absorbed, then add the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and let it simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
Add chicken and noodles, then simmer until the noodles are al dente, about another 7 to 8 minutes.
Serve with a nice thick piece of crusty bread, and you have a homey, hearty chicken soup for two. Plus, you have that bottle of wine ready to go!
Hearty Chicken Soup For Two
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
- 1/8 tsp dried parsley
- 1/8 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dried egg noodles
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Chop carrot into 1/4 inch pieces, slicing the large end into half or quarters before chopping. Slice the celery rib in half down the middle, then chop into 1/4 inch pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic and reduce heat to medium low. Sweat the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add thyme and parsley. Stir to incorporate and continue to sweat until the pan begins to brown slightly.
- Deglaze the saucepan with white wine and cook until wine is absorbed.
- Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add chicken and egg noodles. Let simmer 7 to 8 minutes or until the noodles are al dente.
