'Chicken' Noodle Soup

Lately, I've been trying to do a better job about documenting how Joey and I eat together as a mixed vegetarian and omnivore family. With so few hours of daylight these days, there have been a lot of meals that have gone undocumented, since I have yet to master the art of photographing food in artificial light.

That said, once in a while I manage to snap a photo of a lunch or dinner here and there. Last week this soup was a huge hit with both Joey and me. Unlike traditional recipes for chicken noodle soup, this recipe calls for adding in the cooked chicken at the end of the preparation. That way, if someone in your family is looking to eat less meat, you can add as much or as little chicken as you want. I enjoyed my soup sans chicken with a side of toast and hummus for a little added protein. Joey enjoyed his with chicken, of course, and loved it as much as I did.

It amazes me how a little extra time yields results that are so worth making soup from scratch as opposed to buying it premade in a can. And when it gets really cold, I can only imagine we will be enjoying this soup again and again to stay warm and toasty.

'Chicken' Noodle Soup

Ingredients
*1/2 cup finely chopped celery
*1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
*2/3 cup diced onions
*3 tablespoons olive oil 
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
*1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
*1/2 teaspoon dried basil
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*1 box (32-ounces) vegetable or chicken stock
*1 cup water
*1 can white beans, drained
*1 cup whole wheat egg noodles
*2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)

Instructions
*In a large stockpot over medium high heat, combine the celery, carrots, onions and olive oil. Cook for five to six minutes, until onions are opaque and carrots begin to tenderize. Add in the salt, oregano, chili powder, basil, garlic and black pepper. Cook for four to five minutes more, until mixture is fragrant.
*Add in the stock and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the water and white beans. Blend until well combined and smooth. Add to the boiling stock mixture. Bring back to a boil and add in the egg noodles. Cook until noodles are cooked, about seven to nine minutes. Reduce heat to low and add in chicken, if desired.

Happy Cooking!


Madison