(This post is mostly for those of you who, like me, shop and cook for one or two people.)
Stop buying canned soup. Just, stop. The vegetables are old, the meat is questionable, and who knows that those cans are lined with. You can make your own basic broth-based soups for a fraction of the cost, and better yet, you can control what's going into them. Vegetables are fresh. Herbs are fresh. Meat is exactly the type and the leanness that you want it to be. Sodium won't be off the charts! (Seriously, check the sodium count the next time you pick up a can, even of the "light" soups. I dare you not to gasp.)
Here's a souper (ha) easy recipe that I use for my chicken noodle soup, a staple during the cold months. It's very healthy, it's easy to customize, and it freezes really well. Even if you're not terribly confident in the kitchen, I promise, this is foolproof--and it will taste so good that you'll never want to go back to the canned stuff.
Jamie's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients: (Must-haves are bold; the others are ingredients that I like but you can change as you desire)
6 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium and/or reduced fat (packaging will clearly say)
1.5 cups small or medium pasta, whole grain (I personally prefer rotini)
3 medium carrots, chopped or diced
2 stalks celery, chopped or diced
1.5 cups chicken, chopped (I use chicken breasts or ground chicken; if you're using ground, make sure to check the fat content! Try to get ground breast if you can.)
1 tablespoon butter
0.5 cups peas (frozen or fresh)
0.5 cups onion, sliced or chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or diced
Herbs, any (rosemary, thyme or sage will pair well with the chicken, and parsley is always a good bet)
To make:
Prepare the pasta according to the box's directions and set aside. Keep in mind that the pasta will be added to hot liquid later and will continue to cook then, so err on the side of al dente (slightly underdone). While the pasta is cooking, you can prep your vegetables.
Meanwhile, prepare the chicken and set aside. If you're using ground chicken, you'll want to cook it through on the stove; if you're using breasts or some other type of chicken meat, you can either bake it or cook it on the stove.
(You don't need this much chicken; I just happened to be cooking a batch to freeze when taking these pictures!)
After cooking the chicken through and letting it cool a little, I roughly chop it and throw it in the food processor for a few quick pulses so it will be shredded. You can certainly just chop your chicken into bite-size pieces if you prefer.
Done with the chicken pictures now. Melt the butter in a medium or large saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add the onions and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until onions are soft, stirring frequently. Enjoy the aroma, because nothing is better than butter and garlic combined. :)
Add the carrots and celery, turn the heat up to medium and saute for 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. (The level of softness is up to you. If you hate mushy carrots, like me, just keep an eye on them.)
Stir in chicken broth, chicken, pasta, and peas and bring the soup up to a boil.
Season with salt and pepper as desired and serve. (I like a little parmesan cheese on mine.)
Prep time: about 15 minutes (unless you have access to a food processor)
Cook time: about 25 minutes
Serves 6
Nutritional Information: 290 calories, 5 grams fat, 40 grams carbohydrates, 19 grams protein; sodium will depend on the broth you use and if you add any salt to your soup while cooking. This is the broth I use, love and recommend:
The true beauty of this recipe is that you can really change whatever you want. Vegetarian? Skip the chicken and use vegetable broth. Cooking for kids? Let them choose the shape of the pasta to keep things interesting. Not a fan of carrots or celery? Skip them and opt for vegetable broth; you'll get the flavor without the chunky vegetables. Have herbs in the fridge that need to get used? Every variety that I can think of, with the exception of dill, will work well in this soup. Go nuts, experiment, and create your own signature chicken noodle soup.
Enjoy!
(Tried something different? Let me know! I'd love to try out your recipe!)
