Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

  • From Susan Powter's C'mon America, Let's Eat! cookbook ... my adaptations are in blue ...

    Oil for spray
    6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
    1 med onion, quartered (I mince them)
    2 stalks celery, cut in half (I slice them)
    2 carrots, quartered (I slice them)
    1 tomato, left whole (for color and flavor) (I sometimes used canned, diced)
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 bay leaf
    ¼ c parsley
    2 t Nature's Seasons seasoning blend
    3 14½-oz cans defatted chicken broth
    2 c water
    1½ c fine noodles broken into 2-inch pieces (angel hair pasta will do)

    In a skillet sprayed with oil, brown chicken breasts well. Transfer to a soup pot and add onion, celery, carrots, tomato, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, and seasoning, and cover with broth and water. (I often throw it in a slow cooker before work). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Remove vegetables and chicken. Cut up 5 chicken breast sections into bite-size pieces and return to pot (save the last piece for your favorite leftover chicken dish). (I coarsely shred the chicken) Cut up the onions and carrots coarsely and return to pot. Throw away the garlic, tomato, celery, and parsley. (I don't throw these).

    Add the noodles and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. (I cook them separately and only add them right before serving, otherwise they turn to MUSH if they sit combined for too long.)

    Nutritional Information:
    Serving Size: 10 ounces
    Servings per recipe: 10
    Calories: 160
    Total Fat: 2 grams
    Saturated Fat: 0.5 gram
    57% protein
    12% fat
    31% carbohydrate