This Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

My kids just got over a round of the cold, but thankfully, this one did not last long.  And just as we thought we were in the clear, my 4 year-old daughter comes down with another bug and has been sick for the past couple of days.  Her fever spikes worried me so yesterday had to be a work-from-home type of day so I could nurse my baby back to health.

And what other better way to kick the cold (or flu) in the butt than with Chicken Noodle Soup!  She also asked for buttermilk pancakes for breakfast yesterday which probably didn't do much for her cold but if it made her smile and cheer up, then it's a win in my book :-).

So I always have 2 versions of everything in my head: "Supermom goals" and "What really happens/happened".  So here are those two versions that we all sometimes struggle with

Supermom goals - make homemade chicken noodle soup EVERY SINGLE TIME the kids or hubby comes down with a cold.  That would be a LOT of soup!  And I would never leave the kitchen..yikes!

What really happens/happened - soup from a can. And when I'm feeling fancy, everyone is in for a treat with the stars noodle variety :-).

Yesterday, crunched for time, despite my desire to reach the supermom goal, what really happened was canned soup. That I made with extra love of course :-).  The mani and pedi sesh we had after soup probably didn't hurt either :-).

On the days that I do have an extra hour to get into the kitchen, I LOVE to cook up this classic Chicken Noodle Recipe that I adapted from watching one too many Food Network episodes.  And this specific version is gluten free!

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (boneless if you have it)
1 bunch of thyme (or about 15 sprigs)
1 bunch of rosemary (or about 15 sprigs)
1 large onion (chopped)
8 cloves garlic (minced)
3 carrots (chopped on the diagonal)
3 stalks celery (chopped on the diagonal)
1 package of rice noodles
2 tablespoons (or so) extra virgin olive oil
8 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt & Black Pepper

Some tips before we move on to the cooking part:
1. Chicken - I prefer bone-in chicken thighs because they are cheaper than buying boneless, and I love the flavor of dark meat over white meat chicken.  I debone the thighs to save me money and I've done it so many times that it literally is a cinch.  But to each his own :-).  Use whatever chicken piece/part tickles your fancy :-)

2. Herbs - Go with FRESH, it makes ALL the difference in this dish.  The flavor and aromas that you will get from using fresh rosemary and thyme can't be beat! So don't skimp out on these ingredients :-).  As for measurements, I really don't measure how much thyme or rosemary I put in there.  I don't have time to count out the sprigs and most of the time, the sprigs are not so easily separated.  So once you have made this more than once, you will be able to just "eyeball" the amount of herbs that go in.

3. Rice noodles - I use the rice noodles found in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.  These are the same rice noodles that are used in Vietnamese Pho.  I sometimes use spaghetti noodles (see picture below) when I don't have time to run to the grocery store and because I always have those on hand.  But going gluten-free helps the tummy and the rest of the digestive system, thus putting less stress on an already compromised body that is fighting off those nasty cold/flu bugs.  

4. Seasoning - Greatest tip I learned from Food Network and from experience is to always season as you go.  After adding in an ingredient, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.  There is nothing worse than getting a mouthful of salt and/or pepper, which is what happens when you wait to season at the very end.  The salt and pepper will not have had time to meld into the dish.  So...season often but ONLY after tasting often :-).  This layering technique will make for the perfectly seasoned dish at the end.  

House full of sick people = THIS

Directions:

1. Chop up deboned/boneless chicken into bite size pieces.
2. Put enough olive oil into a large pot over medium high heat to cover the bottom.
3. Add the chicken to the pot, like this great Rachael Ray Enamel on Steel 12-Quart Covered Stockpot  ,season with kosher salt and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until chicken is no longer raw.
4. Remove chicken from the pot and set it aside.
5. Add all of the chopped vegetables (onions, garlic, carrots, celery) to the pot.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add in the herbs (both thyme and rosemary).  Stir.
7. Add the chicken back into the pot. Stir to mix it in.
8. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil.
9. Add in the rice noodles (straight from the package).
10. Bring it back to a boil again.
11. Enjoy!

So for those days when Supermom kicks into high gear, try this recipe for those icky cold and flu days.  Or just whip up a pot JUST BECAUSE!  

How do you like your chicken noodle soup?  Drop me a comment or two on what you think of this mom's version.