A simple trick makes RecipeTin Eats’ chicken noodle soup midweek friendly

Name: A simple trick makes RecipeTin Eats’ chicken noodle soup midweek friendly
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 400g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets (see note); ¼ tsp cooking salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 3 carrots, chopped into 1cm dice; 3 celery ribs, sliced 5mm thick (wide end cut in half lengthways); 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh; 80ml (⅓ cup) chardonnay or other dry white wine; 1 litre low-sodium chicken stock; 750ml (3 cups) water; 3 tsp Vegeta stock powder (see note); ¼ tsp black pepper; 150g spaghetti (or other pasta of choice), uncooked; handful of roughly chopped parsley, to garnish

Need a nourishing meal on the table, stat? This comforting soup delivers loads of flavour, without needing hours of cooking.

Nagi Maehashi

October 29, 2024

This speedy chicken noodle soup is ideal for midweek dinners.Rob Palmer; STYLING: Emma Knowles

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

There is a time and place for making chicken noodle soup entirely from scratch, gently poaching a whole bird to make a beautiful home-made stock then shredding the tender flesh into the soup. Then there’s the madness of Tuesday nights when you just need to get dinner on the table, stat!

When time is not on your side, Vegeta, a vegetable stock powder you can find at supermarkets, makes all the difference to the flavour. Try it once, and it will become your new best friend for clear broths.

SOS checklist

Fewer than 12 ingredients (excluding oil, salt, pepper and water) ✓
Less than $20 for 4 servings ✓

Ingredients

400g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets (see note)
¼ tsp cooking salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, chopped into 1cm dice
3 celery ribs, sliced 5mm thick (wide end cut in half lengthways)
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
80ml (⅓ cup) chardonnay or other dry white wine
1 litre low-sodium chicken stock
750ml (3 cups) water
3 tsp Vegeta stock powder (see note)
¼ tsp black pepper
150g spaghetti (or other pasta of choice), uncooked
handful of roughly chopped parsley, to garnish

Method

Step 1
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the chicken and fry for 1 minute each side just to sear the surface. The inside will still be raw. Remove onto a plate.
Step 2
Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and cook for 3 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the carrot, celery and bay leaf. Stir for 2 minutes.
Step 3
Add the wine and let it simmer rapidly until it has mostly evaporated.
Step 4
Add the stock, water, Vegeta and black pepper. Once the broth comes to a simmer, add the chicken fillets then reduce the heat to medium-low so the broth is simmering gently. Poach the chicken for 8 minutes, then remove from the pot.
Step 5
Increase the heat to high, add the pasta, and cook according to the packet directions. Meanwhile, shred the chicken.
Step 6
Once the pasta is cooked, return the shredded chicken to the pot. Taste the broth and season if required. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Notes

Boneless chicken thigh fillets will stay juicier than breast fillets. If you prefer breast fillet, cut it in half horizontally, then follow the recipe but reduce the poaching time to 4 minutes.
Vegeta, a popular Eastern European brand found at supermarkets, is my favourite vegetable stock powder, for the flavour and subtle golden tinge it adds to clear broths. If you can’t find it, use another vegetable or chicken stock powder of your choice.
To store leftovers, scoop the chicken, vegies and noodles out of the broth or strain through a colander and store the broth and chicken noodles in separate containers.