Now I ask you, who does not love a homemade chicken soup? It’s just so much better than the canned variety that I make sure to have some in my freezer at all times. And this here is the simple, down-home recipe I turn to most of the time. It’s basically the same chicken soup I’ve been making for years on end. One of the few changes I’ve made is to take the skin off the bird before adding it to the pot. Every little bit helps when you are trying to cut the fat out of your diet.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 carrots, thinly sliced
- 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 whole chicken (31/2 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, cut into 8 pieces, and skin removed
- 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles
- Chopped fresh dill, for serving
Directions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, half the carrots, half the celery, and the garlic. Cook until lightly browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, 8 cups water, salt, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper to taste. Simmer gently, skimming off any foam that rises to the top of the pot, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour.
- Strain the soup into a large bowl. Discard the vegetables and set the chicken aside to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat off the bones, discarding the bones.
- Return the strained liquid to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the remaining carrots and celery. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the noodles and cook the noodles according to the package directions. Stir in the shredded chicken in the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, and garnish with dill.
Serves 6
More about Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, 250 Recipes All Lightened Up
Paula Deen has lost over 40 pounds and has maintained her weight loss for over two years by swapping out ingredients to reduce fat and calories. Paula’s key to weight loss is moderation and accountability, and one day a week she still enjoys good old southern cooking with biscuits and all. One does not have to give up taste when reducing calories, and these recipes are a testament to that. Paula shares 250 of her favorite recipes lightened up. This brand-new, New York Times best selling cookbook presents lightened up versions of fifty of her classic southern recipes and presents new recipes that cut the calories but not the delicious taste.
The New-York Times Best-Selling cookbook, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, 250 Favorite Recipes All Lightened Up, is now available now at Amazon, Costco, Barnes & Noble, Target, and your local bookstores!
