Chicken Noodle Soup.

Chicken noodle soup (9 of 11)“Ahhh, what you need is some chicken noodle soup.”. “Chicken noodle soup will sort you out.”. “Chicken broth is what you need.”. So went the advice from various ‘clucking hens’ (well meaning people) while I spent a week in bed, festering with a chest infection. Unfortunately, when one is bed-bound and feeling rotten, the desire to make this elixir of life tends to be absent. So, given that I’m feeling better and am in no need of it, here’s a straightforward recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup.

Now, if you are used to the packet variety of Chicken Noodle Soup, I recommend you get a chicken stock cube, a tablespoon or two of salt and a packet of pot noodles. Add a litre of hot water and enjoy. This will taste particularly good to you.

If, perhaps you want to move your game further up the food chain, follow my simple and easy recipe. You may even live a little longer too.

Ingredients for my chicken noodle soup

  • 1.5 litres of good quality chicken stock
  • 4 free range boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Two servings of udon noodles
  • 3 cm piece of ginger
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3 spring onions
  • 6 dried Chinese mushrooms
  • A head of bok choi
  • A green and a red chili
  • Chili oil for dressing and a little extra heat
  • Salt and pepper to season
    Not a lot of ingredients but lots of flavour.

    Not a lot of ingredients but lots of flavour.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this dish while I lay prostrate, looking at the ceiling. First I put the noodles into boiling water to reconstitute them.

If I had breathed in the steam, maybe I would have recovered sooner.

If I had breathed in the steam, maybe I would have recovered sooner.

I added some hot water to the mushrooms to bring them back to life too.

They have a lovely meaty texture.

It was a pity I could not get myself reconstituted so easily.

Next, followed a lot of chopping. I sliced the ingredients up. The ginger and garlic needs to be sliced very small. The spring onions need to be sliced across the grain to give them a nice shape.

Slicing this way gives a longer spring onion.

Slicing this way gives a longer spring onion.

I then sliced the chicken into pieces about the same size as the spring onions. The Mushrooms got the same treatment too. I warmed the stock in a saucepan. I added the ginger and garlic then added the sliced chicken.

Lots of chicken needed for chicken noodle soup.

Lots of chicken needed for chicken noodle soup.

I simmered the chicken for about ten minutes, to ensure it was cooked. I then added in the soy sauce, the spring onions and the mushrooms.

The noodles are already cooked and only need to be warmed.

The noodles are already cooked and only need to be warmed.

The noodles went in next. These were warmed through.

This soup is very, very tasty even before the addition of bok choi.

This soup is very, very tasty even before the addition of bok choi.

I then added a layer of chopped bok choi. This will prevent me getting sick again.

The bok choi turns a vibrant green. Lovely.

The bok choi turns a vibrant green. Lovely.

Just like I had previously, this wilted on it’s own. I then tasted, seasoned and served this delicious soup.

Don't wait to get sick before making it!

Don’t wait to get sick before making it!

This is a really tasty, wholesome and healthy soup. The stock was home made and that is the basis of any good soup. Try it and I suspect it will ward off any potential colds and flu. Even if it doesn’t, it will make you feel better about yourself.

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Latest comments
  • I love chicken noodle soup and this is a fine example. Sorry to hear you were sick but glad you’re feeling better. Lx

    • Thanks Linda,
      It”s the nature of my posting that I work a few weeks in advance. That way, I don’t often get the panic of “What am I going to post today!” This leads to a bit of time shifting in my posting / health related issues. I am fine and have been fine for a few weeks. Your parcel arrived today. Thanks indeed for the range. I am intrigued. I have stuffed it into the fridge for the moment and will revisit when I get a chance to breath. Salmon smoked and resting in the fridge.
      Best,
      Conor

      • I hope you enjoy it and I’m glad to hear you’re fully recovered. Salmon, yum.

  • Very interesting. I will definitely try to cook it

    • Thanks Mike,
      Worth doing, for sure.
      Thanks for visiting,
      Conor

  • Chest infections are hell on wheels, and exhausting to boot. I hope you have now made several litres of this potent elixir to keep in the freezer against future (God forbid) events. I feel sure you must be on the mend, or you would not be wielding that cleaver so effectively. My own childhood bronchitis panacea was a large bowl of tomato soup with a poached egg in the bottom and buttered toast for dunking. It’s still my favourite comfort food when I’m beastly with cold.

    • That sounds really excellent Kate. I am well recovered now and back in the game, as they say. I really like the idea of the hidden poacher in the soup. Dunking is essential with tomato soup.

      • The final bonus is breaking the egg and having the runny yolk and tomato soup mix together. A tiny moment of bliss in the bleak landscape of being unwell…

  • Glad to hear you are feeling better, Conor. Whenever I roast a chicken I try to make chicken soup with the “rest”. As they profess in the States, “It cures what ails ya!” As we begin our holiday season with Thanksgiving this week – may you and yours enjoy all the blessings of the Holiday Season!

    • Our American customers are all trying to get us to finish out projects this week so they can go home for the season. We will work on over here until Christmas and then take a well earned, if too long, break. Thanks for the good wishes Dierdre. I hope you have a great one.
      Best,
      Conor

  • Great soup Conor, I make a very similar soup and rate it as my favourite meal. I always feel as if I’ve done myself a huge favour afterwards. Chicken soup id good for body and soul

    • Hi Sandra,
      I wouldn’t have thought you would be needing the likes of this at this time of year. Your weather must be on the way into summer by now? Still, it is a lovely soup.

      • Even though it’s hot and humid, Asian style noodle soups are a constant. Add some fresh herbs and you’re in Vietnam, some chilli lime and lemongrass, Thailand. If it makes you sweat it keeps you cool😅😅

  • Perfect!

    • Thanks Rosemary.
      I appreciate the brief and cogent comment.
      Best,
      C

  • That sounds like just the job – save a couple of portions in the freezer for emergencies 😉

    • Too late for that MD. All gone. I have been busy on the stock making front of late and now have prawn, pork, beef, chicken and even some frozen white and red wine on standby for sauce and soup making over the winter. Happy days!

      • You’ll have to make some more, especially for winter colds and flu 😉

  • It feeds the body and warms the soul too. Delicious!

    • It did that indeed Adam. The ginger lends a lovely heat to it without making it a fire breather. Worth trying.

  • This is a nice variation to the classic chicken noodle soup, I like to make! I love all of the ingredients! Thanks!

    • Thanks indeed Old Girl!
      It is so easy to do, it is more of an assembly than a cooking and is delicious.
      Best,
      Conor

  • Mmmm, Pot Noodle…. Just kidding!
    This looks really good Conor. I like the amount of chilli used, you’d never get sick again.
    Hope you’re feeling better.

    • Well recovered. In fact, this all happened a few weeks ago. Such is the life of the organised blogger! Don’t even joke about the Pot Noodles.

  • Delicious!

  • Great variation on chicken soup. Guaranteed to fight off a cold. Maybe you should freeze some for the next cold!

    • Hi Virginia,
      If I had the wit to make enough and then freeze it, then all would be good. I’ll just have to start from scratch again.
      Happy Thanksgiving to you all over there.
      Best,
      Conor

  • Ugh, so sorry you were under the weather. Your chicken soup looks like a perfect remedy! You should save some in the freezer in case you have a relapse. xoxo

    • I needed to have planned this a bit better. I should have made more and done as you suggest Kathryn. However, I was not in planning mode. Have a great Thanksgiving,
      Conor

  • Literally moments ago, I finished a bowl of my chicken noodle. When I saw a winter storm was heading our way, I made a pot of stock the day before it arrived on Saturday. Half was frozen as-is and the other was used for my soup. I’m going to save this post for when I thaw that stock. You’ve included a few ingredients that I never have but cannot wait to try. Thanks, Conor. Hope you’re feeling better soon.

    • Thanks John,
      Well better now. The soup is great as you can chuck almost anything in there.
      Have a great Thanksgiving,
      Conor

  • That looks almost worth getting sick for. Glad you’re on the mend.

    • Almost Michelle. Well back in the game at this stage.

  • Now that’s my kind of chicken noodle soup, Conor!

    • Thanks Debbie,
      Have a great Thanksgiving up in the Mountain Kitchen.

  • Thank you! Glad you’re feeling better!

  • Lovely dish. Chicken soup is a cook’s penicillin. 🙂

    • Nicely put Shanna. We all need less of the antibiotics. That’s for certain.
      Have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow.
      Best,
      C

  • Lovely This is a dish that I will be making in the future

    • Thanks Mira,
      I hope you enjoy it.
      Best,
      Conor

  • This soup looks fantastic. I love the addition of bok choy. Glad you’re on the mend!

  • This just looks like pure perfection for a cold winters night!

    • Hi Petra,
      Thanks for this kind comment and thanks for visiting the blog.
      Best,
      Conor

  • Hi Conor
    Another brilliant recipe and it’s on my ever increasing to do list. Methinks we are overdue a meet up. Let’s try for the week of the 21st?
    Martin

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