Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

 Just in time for dropping temperatures here in the Midwest, this creamy chicken noodle soup hits the spot this fall. I love that this soup tastes rich and creamy while still being nourishing.  It's a recipe I crave when I'm feeling under the weather...or just want to curl up with a hot bowl of soup on a cold day!

I adapted this recipe from this chicken gnocchi soup that I've made several times.  I love all the flavors, but I noticed that my family would leave out the gnocchi and after making it so many times, I also got tired of the gnocchi! Ha.  So I simply swapped gnocchi for egg noodles, omitted the spinach...and realized this was a delicious creamy version of your standard chicken noodle soup (but better than store-bought and, let's face it, a lot of restaurants.  Because who knows what some places put in their dishes:/).

It's already such a simple soup to prepare, but to make things even simpler I like getting a rotisserie chicken from Costco and shredding it for multiple meals throughout the week.  By having shredded or cut up chicken on hand, it saves so much time when you need something ready in 30 minutes or less.

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (serves 4-6)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces medium egg noodles
• 1½ cups half-half
• 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped into small pieces
• salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add celery, carrots and onions and cook until onion is soft.  Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, marjoram and nutmeg and stir for another minute.
2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and let it simmer until celery and carrots are soft.
3. Turn heat up a bit and add the egg noodles, half-half and chicken.  Stir and let it cook for 5-7 minutes, or until noodles are cooked.  Remove from the heat and serve immediately with extra ground pepper and/or crackers on the side.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Small Town Woman's Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe