Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
A Culinary Memory Of A Great Friend
This Ultimate Chicken Noodle soup was born out of a cooking partnership between me and a good friend. We had a taste for soup one day at work and combined flavors we both loved to make this recipe.
We often made this soup and enjoyed it for days with a nice loaf of bread and some butter. This soup has nutrient dense chicken thighs, potatoes for potassium, veggies for vitamins, and pasta for comfort.
The Sazon and Adobo seasonings add some flair that you didn’t know you were missing in soup. This is perfect for the cooler months and also freezes wonderfully.
There’s a recipe card with all of the instructions and ingredients at the end of the post. You can hit the “print” button on the card to get a one-page version of the recipe without ads that you can print or screenshot.
First, however, I’ve got some tips and pics to help you along!
Perfect For Winter
I used to work for the Chicago Park District and this soup was created in our kitchen at the park in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago. This park building was a big, old building that was cold and drafty in the Winter.
I have fond memories of making this soup with my co-worker and friend and enjoying it in the cozy kitchen.
This soup can be made in a big batch, as the recipe calls for, and frozen. It thaws really nicely and warms up for a wonderful dinner.
I like to serve it with both of my hot sandwich recipes! I have these Toasty Ham Sandwiches and my Open Faced Italian Subs and it goes great with either.
Or both!
Sazon and Adobo Seasoning For Newbies
I love to use Adobo Seasoning in a lot of recipes. It is made by Goya and it is an All Purpose Seasoning.
I like to use it more than, say, a Lawry’s for some recipes because it has a tanginess that I enjoy. It also tastes less like salt and more like a mix of many seasonings.
You can find it in any grocery store or even Walmart and Target.
I also use the Sazon seasoning in this recipe, also made by Goya. This seasoning has a tomato flavor along with other spices.
It also adds a nice color to soups. I use this seasoning in my Spanish Rice recipe to give it beautiful color and flavor.
Chicken Bouillon
Another ingredient I use in this soup is the Knorr Chicken Bouillon. I like to use it in this soup because it compliments the Adobo and Goya Seasonings.
It is a granulated bouillon, not a cube. It is salty, and my measurements are for my preferences.
You may want to start with a little and add more as you taste and go. I get this at Aldi and most other grocery stores.
This is also the bouillon I use in my World’s Best Thanksgiving Stuffing.
Potatoes In Chicken Noodle?
I always get this comment when I share this recipe and the answer is YES! I like the addition of potatoes in this soup.
Potatoes are an affordable way to bulk up this soup and the potassium helps with muscle cramps and eye twitching. If you really are passionate about this, you don’t have to add them.
Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
This ultimate chicken noodle soup was born out of a cooking partnership between me and a good friend. We had a taste for soup one day at work and combined flavors we both loved in this soup. We often made this soup and enjoyed it for days with a nice loaf of bread and some butter. This soup has nutrient dense chicken thighs, potatoes for potassium, veggies for vitamins and pasta for comort. The sazon and adobo seasonings add some flair that you didn't know you were missing in soup. This is perfect for the cooler months and also freezes wonderfully.
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- 3 cups of diced carrots
- 3 Cups of diced celery
- 2 cups diced onion
- 6 cloves garlic rough chopped
- Adobo seasoning from Goya brand (pictured in post)
- 2 packets Goya Sazon (both can be found in the Mexican food aisle at most stores, pictured in post)
- 3 to 4 heaping tablespoons of Knorr chicken bouillon powder *or to taste (pictured in post)
- About 22 cups of water give or take (I know this seems like a lot, basically you just want to fill your biggest soup pot with water)
- 1 bag of frozen tortellini or mini ravioli
- 2 large potatoes diced with skin on
- Oil for cooking
- One bag of egg noodles cooked separately
- Black pepper and poultry seasoning (season to taste)
- 3 Tablespoons of dried parsley
Instructions
- Sauté your veggies and garlic in olive oil in a large stock pot until they are soft and golden brown.
- Season your chicken thighs with the adobo, black pepper and poultry seasoning and sear on both sides in a skillet about 4 minutes each side. I do not measure this seasoning, I just do a decent sprinkle all over the chicken.
- Add the chicken bouillon and the Sazon packets to the veggies and sauté for a minute or two then add black pepper, poultry seasoning (I use about 2 teaspoons, add a little at a time, taste and adjust) and dried parsley. I like a lot of black pepper, add this to your taste, you can always add more at the end.
- Add the thighs to the pot with the veggies.
- Add the diced potatoes.
- Add the water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits off the bottom of the pan and bring this to a boil.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer and simmer on the stove for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If you would like to add this to a slow cooker at this point, you can put this in a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on low.
- In the last 30 minutes of cooking add your ravioli or tortellini to the soup pot. If you are making this in a slow cooker, cook the pasta separately and add to the slow cooker before serving.
- I serve this in a large bowl with a handful of cooked egg noodles.