Lightened-Up Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
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| Lightened-Up Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup |
This lightened-up creamy chicken noodle soup has only 200 calories per serving. The potato adds heartiness to the soup and, as it cooks, makes the soup even creamier. Don’t leave it out!
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Yield: about 12 cups
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a medium onion)
- 1 cup sliced carrots (1 and 1/2 large carrots)
- 1 cup sliced celery (2–3 stalks)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 cups chicken broth*
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (around 1 and 1/2 cups)
- 2 cups shredded roasted chicken*
- 1 cup fat free half-and-half or whole milk*
- 4 cups uncooked wide egg noodles*
- Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven (4 quart or larger). Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for around 7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add flour, oregano, pepper, thyme, and salt. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
- Next, add the broth and potato. Give everything a quick stir, then increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the soup to a boil, without stirring, and boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Taste the soup. Does it need more seasoning like salt, pepper, etc? Add some. Add the chicken, milk/half-and-half, and noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are tender and the soup has thickened. Once again, taste the soup and add more seasoning as desired. Serve the soup warm.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To reheat, simply pour into a pot over medium heat and cook until warm. Feel free to add more chicken broth to the leftovers if it’s too thick– I always do. (Soup thickens in the refrigerator as the noodles and potatoes soak up the liquid.)
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze soup for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, then reheat on the stove until warm.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Prepare the soup through step 1 on the stovetop. Transfer to a slow cooker and continue with step 2. Allow to cook for 2 hours on low, then add the chicken, half-and-half, and noodles. Cook on low for 1-2 more hours.
- Tip: During the last few minutes of cook time, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon. It’s so good!
- Flour: Instead of 1/4 cup of flour, you can use 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.
- Thyme: I prefer fresh thyme in this soup. To get the thyme leaves off the sprigs, I hold the tip of the twig with one hand and then slide my thumb and pointer finger of my other hand along the sprig. Ground thyme works too. Use 1/2 teaspoon or more, as desired. Or you can use pre-made Italian seasoning (found in the spice aisle). I usually use about 2 teaspoons.
- Broth: I use regular chicken broth. If using low sodium, make sure you are tasting the soup as it cooks to make sure there is enough salt in the soup.
- Chicken: I recommend using rotisserie chicken. Pick up a small rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it – both white and dark meat – and use in the soup. Or you can roast some chicken breasts yourself. Rub with a little minced garlic and rosemary, roast in the oven under tender, then shred it. You can also boil 2 large chicken breasts until cooked through, then shred and use in this recipe.
- Half-and-Half: The 200 calorie count is using fat free half-and-half. Feel free to use regular half-and-half, milk, or 1/2 cup of heavy cream. If using 1/2 cup of heavy cream, add another 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the recipe.
- Noodles: Any shape noodle works here! I prefer wide egg noodles in chicken soup.
