248 Part III: Simple Recipes to Enjoy Anytime
Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup
A bowl of chicken noodle soup can really make you feel good inside. This classic comfort
food used to be made from stewing chickens, or hens that were too old and stringy to
be cooked for a short period of time. Finding stewing chickens is difficult nowadays, so
you can use the fresh chicken you find at the store. You don’t have to worry about
skimming the fat off the top of the broth if you use breast meat.
Stage: Regular foodsPreparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutesYield: 8 servings (1 cup each)Fresh versus dried herbs
Fresh and dried herbs are great for cooking and
fresh preparations, but knowing when to use
them makes all the difference in the way your
meals taste. Use dried herbs for dishes that
cook more than 30 minutes. Use fresh herbs
in fresh salad preparations and when cookingless than 30 minutes. If you cook fresh herbs
too long, they become bitter and black, and they
can also burn in high-heat preparations, such
as sautéing, grilling, and broiling, so use your
best judgment when preparing your favorite
recipes.1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut
into^1 ⁄ 2 -inch pieces
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced(^1) ⁄ 2 cup chopped onion
(^1) ⁄ 2 teaspoon dried basil
(^1) ⁄ 4 teaspoon dried rosemary
(^1) ⁄ 4 teaspoon black pepper
(^1) ⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 ounces thin egg noodles
1 Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the chicken, celery, carrot, onion, basil, rosemary,
pepper, and salt and sauté for 3 minutes.
2 Add flour and sauté an additional 2 minutes; then stir in chicken broth and water and
bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, adding egg noodles for the last 10 minutes.
Per serving: Calories 140 (From Fat 35); Fat 4g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 270mg; Carbohydrate
10g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 18g; Sugar 2g.