Chicken Noodle & Fresh Thyme Soup

I'm trying to get back on the wagon with the whole icky diet thing. I know that noodles don't always scream "DIET" but I'm a rebellious soul (Gene says only when it comes to eating and swearing) and I had to ease back into the prospect of healthy eating.  Homemade chicken soup always works for me.  The broth is filling, much more filling than the calorie count would indicate, the veggies are good and good for me, and the noodles make me feel indulged while less pouty and hateful.  Gene likes the last two parts.

You might think that August is the wrong time for homemade soup but, amazingly, here in southwest Missouri it's been unseasonably cool with temps in the 70's. With the air conditioner turned off and the windows open I've actually been chilly in the mornings and evenings. This morning chicken noodle soup seemed the perfect lunch to warm us up while the fresh thyme taste and aroma brought us back into the swing of a warm summer afternoon.

 

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and hosted this week by Genie of The Inadvertent Gardener, fresh thyme being one of my favorite herbs in the whole world.

Chicken Noodle and Fresh Thyme Soup

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 egg

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup carrot, diced

1/2 cup red or green pepper, diced

3 Chicken Thighs, skinned

1 qt (32 oz) Chicken Broth

2 qt (64oz) Water

1 Tbsp fresh Thyme leaves stripped from stem

1 Tsp dried dill/

2 tsp fresh Rosemary, leaves removed and minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pulse flour, salt, and egg in food processor until dough forms a rough ball.  If sticks, add more flour, if doesn't form, add a little water.

2.  Once ball has formed, turn out on lightly flour-covered surface and roll out to 1/4" thickness.  Cut into desired width and lengths with a pizza wheel cutter and leave on counter, lightly covered with non-pilled towel to dry for at least 2 hours.

3.  In dutch oven, over medium heat, saute' the onion, celery, carrot, and pepper, in butter until soft.

4.  Add Chicken broth, thyme, and water, and bring to boil. Add chicken pieces and boil for 30 minutes or until stock has reduced in half. 

5.  Remove chicken pieces, bone, and dice chicken meat. Return to pot.  If chicken stock is too bland, pump up the flavor by adding a Tbsp or two of chicken soup base paste (not bouillon cubes (too salty).  I use L.B. Jamison's soup base. Allow to dissolve and then correct seasonings as needed.

6. Bring to boil and drop in noodles a few at a time so they won't stick together.  Cook, uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until noodles are cooked through.  Garnish servings with additional fresh thyme.

Makes approximately 5  1 1/2 cup servings.

Nutrition per serving: Calories:  259.5, Protein: 19.5 gram, Carbs 23, Fat 6

Comments

[Genie]

Glenna,

Oh, wow...this sounds really good! It's been cool here in Iowa, too, and my thoughts have been turning to soups, too. This has to go on my must-try list. I've never made fresh noodles, so that would be particularly fun!

Genie
http://www.theinadvertentgardener.com

[Kalyn]

When I was a kid my mom made homemade chicken and noodles all the time. We called them "fat noodles" to distinguish between the skinny noodles you could buy in the store! Mom's fat noodles are one of the recipes that everyone in our family still makes to this day. You just gave me the idea that I could try making them SB Diet friendly with 100% whole wheat pastry flour which I've been experimenting with.

BTW, we had a lot of picky eaters in my family so mom's version only included chicken, broth and noodles. Your version actually looks better to me now than my moms! And I agree, I LOVE thyme. It's highly underrated in my opinion.

Great photo too! Ok, now I'm off to save this to del.icio.us.

[Jeff]

Thyme is one of my favorite herbs...goes so well with so many things :)

[sher]

Oh yum!!!!!! That looks so good. I'm going to be glad when it finally cools off enough so that I can make more soups and stews.

[Glenna]

Genie--Go for it! They're so easy. Once you do it once, you'll never buy them again. And half the time I don't even drag out the food processor.

Kalyn--I know. When I was a kid my mom didn't put the veggies in either because we complained but now I look at them as an opportunity to get a serving. I think it's called "getting old". :-)

Jeff--Yep, mine too! Thyme and rosemary. I need to grow them both. I used to before I start respiratory school and then I killed them both when I didn't have time to take care of them, you know?

Sher--Can't wait until you start making soup again. You're the best soup maker I know!

[Harry]

Any kind of soup is my favorite kind of food, and this looks fantastic, especially with the homemade noodles. Definitely will be on my to-make list.

[Lisa]

That looks delicious. I really wanted chicken soup yesterday; wish I could've had some of yours! I love the fresh thyme in it . . .

[Glenna]

Lisa--Thyme is my favorite too. Yummy and homey.

[coffeepot]

Glenna, Hubby and I are going to try and get back on our diet also.

This looks good and our weather has been a bit on the cool side also.

I will be trying it soon.

[Glenna]

Coffeepot--And this is the hardest time of the year since our bodies want to store fat for the winter but I have to keep plugging away at the diet and at the gym and try to overcome the natural tendencies. Argh!

[tokiujosa]

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[sopitikoj]

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[likopinko]

Hello

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[Phyllis Templeton]

Where can I get the L.B.Jamison's chicken soup base?

[Atopijski Dermatitis]

I just made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for this recipe. You can't beat how easy it is, plus it tastes great.
Thanks again!

[Faith Brockoff]

I love soups and this one looks so yummy! My mom always made homemade noodles too, but she had a drop version she used in chicken soup. Same ingredients, just more eggy and thin.

[Glenna]

I've done the drop dumplings kind too. Also yummy!