This quick, soul-warming soup is loaded with tender chicken and colorful veggies and puts on fun twist on the pasta. Pediatrician recommended and family approved!
NOTE: Following is an excerpt from my February 2013 column in the Lancaster Sunday News. For the link to the referenced “Ask the Pediatrician” column, which may be of particular interest if you feel as though you or your children have been fighting colds and various illnesses since last October, click here.
My dad does not cook. He jokes that his one attempt to make macaroni and cheese when my mom was away failed because he didn’t realize he had to pre-cook the noodles.
Yet, my dad mentioned to me recently that he now looks forward to reading the lifestyle section of our local newspaper. Not only does he check out his daughter’s recipes, he also has become a follower of the “Ask the Pediatrician” column across the page. Though his children are all grown up, my dad knows this doctor well. You see, she is my childhood friend.
“Dr. Pia” and I have known each other since kindergarten and were in each other’s weddings. We worked together on the McCaskey High School newspaper, “The Vidette”, though we never dreamed we’d be staring across the newspaper pages at one another.
In light of that, we thought it would be fun for me to cook one of her favorite recipes. How fitting that her pick is an elixir for all those unwanted colds and flus. She told me that she often thinks about printing this recipe on a script pad because so often the kids she sees need this more than any drug she can provide.
Ironically, the day I planned to make this soup, my older son came down with the knock-down-drag-out flu. It was one of the few things he wanted to eat for a few days, and it actually perked him up. The rest of us enjoyed this classic comfort food for its taste and warmth as well as the fun twist Pia offers on the traditional noodle.
Consider keeping the ingredients for this recipe on hand or freezing a batch. You never know when you may need it for your family or a friend.
The pasta: Pia always uses Acini di Pepe, which is pictured in the top photo and looks like tiny balls. Acini di Pepe is also the pasta used in Italian wedding soup. When dry, this pasta variety resembles couscous. Fun fact: The Italian words translate to “peppercorn seeds,” and the cooked pasta is about the same size, if not the same color!
Feel free to substitute another pasta of choice. I tend to stick with small shapes, like the stars used in the other photo above, or ditalini or anelletti. Anelletti is the pasta traditionally used for SpaghettiOs.
Though these shapes are small, they do plump up and provide more substance that it may appear at first glance. My family prefers less pasta in their soup, so over the years I have begun making this soup with six ounces rather than 8 ounces of pasta.
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STAT Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cups (2 quart-size boxes) chicken broth (I like to have an extra 14.5-ounce can to thin as needed; see notes)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 celery ribs, including the leaves, chopped
- ½ package (8 ounces) of Acini di Pepe (pasta resembling couscous; see notes)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (may omit if you don't have it or use more to taste; I use about ½ cup)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 rotisserie chicken, picked of its meat and torn into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
Instructions
- Speedy method: Mix the stock, onion, carrots, and celery together in a big soup pot. For a touch more flavor, first sauté the veggies in a tablespoon of olive oil before adding the stock. I like to saute the onions until just a touch golden, 4-5 minutes over medium heat, and then add the carrots and celery, cooking for 2-3 minutes more. Then I add the broth and proceed.
- Bring to a boil. Add the pasta. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add the chicken and parsley. Keep on low heat a few minutes longer or until the carrots and celery are crisp-tender and the pasta is al dente. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve with saltine crackers and a lot of love.
Notes
- Helpful hint: Because the pasta continues to absorb the broth, I like to have extra on hand. For our tastes, a 14.5-ounce can is perfect. If you like your soup even brothier, you may add more broth to taste or cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup upon serving.
- Pasta options: Acini di Pepe can be found in the pasta aisle. However, another pasta of choice (gluten-free as needed) may certainly be used instead. I’ve used stars, egg noodles, and anelletti (like in SpaghettiOs), which are fun. I recently found brown rice stars for a great GF soup.
- Herbs and spices: Sometimes, I add ½ teaspoon of dried thyme. One or two bay leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and/or garlic powder could also be added.
- A few more things: The size of carrots, onions, and celery ribs varies greatly, so go with the “average” size. For those who prefer a specific measurement, I recommend 1 cup onion and 1½ cups each carrots and celery as a starting point. My family likes to go heavy on the veggies, so I use about 1½ cups onion and 2 cups each carrots and celery (sometimes lightly rounded, which is another reason to have extra broth on hand!).
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