Whether its a healthy meal on the go and a nutritional boost for the immune system in the cold winter months, chicken noodle soup has long been a popular choice this time of year.
However, it can be a time-consuming meal to prepare, which can be a challenge when families are constantly on the go between school, extracurricular activities, appointments, etc.
And that’s what inspired longtime former Newhall School District board member Christy Smith, a mother of two who’s also running for the state Assembly.
“Well, I came up with the recipe when my kids were younger, and we were constantly in the car and going to their activities and school events,” Smith said. “I needed to be able to put together something healthy that would be ready when we got home.”
While traditionally a chicken noodle soup is a recipe that can take hours to prepare, Smith said a leftover rotisserie chicken left her inspired.
“This takes out some of the more time-consuming steps, and this still give you that homemade flavor,” she said.
For Smith, making the meal brings back childhood memories, and is something she enjoys sharing with her kids.
“I loved chicken noodle soup from the time I was a kid. My grandmother would always make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and and chicken noodle soup,” she said. “It brings back fond memories — I mean, who doesn’t like chicken noodle soup?”
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 storebought pre-cooked rotisserie chicken
4 large stalks of celery
4 large carrots
1 large brown onion
2 tbsp butter
1 48 oz. box plus 2 14.5oz. cans of chicken broth
½ bag of preferred egg noodles
Dried or fresh parsley (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions:
De-bone chicken and chop or shred chicken and add to crock pot. Add rotisserie drippings from chicken container to crockpot. (adds great homemade flavor)
Chop onion, carrots and celery, and sauté in butter on stovetop until onions are translucent and add to crockpot.
Add all broth to crockpot, put the lid on and heat on low for 3 hours.
At around three hours, boil a half-bag of egg noodles in salted water, until al dente.
Drain and add to crockpot. Add dried or fresh parsley to taste.
Heat soup on low an additional 20-30 minutes. Turn off your crockpot and enjoy.
