Chicken [Noodle] Soup for the Soul

Happy New Year! I have some fresh plans for 2025 which I’ll dive into at the end of this post, but first, I have a recipe to share! Lately, one of my favorite things to do is make a large pot of soup for the week. My Mom often does this and I recently adopted the idea. It’s been so cold in Connecticut and there’s nothing better than having a hearty, homemade soup at the ready for lunch time, to offer any guests who stop by, or as a last minute dinner!

A couple of months ago, there was a wave of sickness that ran through our house and anytime I’m feeling under the weather, all I want is a warm bowl of soup. I was craving chicken noodle – something I had never made before – and we had just about everything on hand to make it. To my surprise, it turned out so delicious!

I’ve made this soup three times since, adding/removing ingredients depending on what we had, and after my most recent batch, I think I nailed the combo!

Full disclosure, this is not a food blog and this is not a proper recipe. However, one of my 2025 resolutions is to spend more time with my blog. It served as a digital diary for years and that was my favorite way to use it. I’d love for this space to return to its origins and resume as a place to share new recipes, fabulous products, or stories that light me up.

And this chicken noodle soup does just that. ◡̈

INGREDIENTS

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2-4 cups of chicken stock/broth (does it matter? I’ll use whatever we have!)
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 carrots peeled & chopped*
• 4 sticks of celery peeled & chopped*
• 2 potatoes peeled & chopped*
• 1/2 box lasagna noodles
• about 1 stick of butter
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1-2 tbs. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 1-2 tbs. garlic powder
• 1-2 tbs. onion powder
• 1/2- 1 tbs. dried dill
• 1/2- 1 tbs. dried basil
• 1/2- 1 tbs. dried parsley
• 1/2- 1 tbs. ginger powder
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2-4 tbs. flour
• 1 lemon
• salt & pepper
• ****I cannot recommend this chopper enough!***

DIRECTIONS

1. Season both sides of your chicken breasts however you’d like (I used Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder). Melt about 2 tbs. of butter in a large pot and then sear both sides until brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Add 1-2 tbs. of olive oil to the same pot, throw in the carrots, onion, celery, and seasonings and sauté until soft. I don’t have measurements here, but I’d say about 1/4 cup of fresh chopped dill, and a heavier hand with the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. I added a few shakes of dried dill, basil, parsley, and Italian seasoning, and then just a dash of ginger and red pepper flakes.
3. While sautéing, shred the chicken and break up your lasagna noodles.
4. Once soft, add the chicken stock, bring it to a boil, and add potatoes, noodles, and shredded chicken. Let boil for about 10 minutes then reduce heat to low.
5. While soup is simmering, make a beurre manié (which I learned is essentially a reverse roux! It’s something you use to thicken up a recipe at the end instead of the beginning). Melt 2-4 tbs. of butter and gradually add flour to make a paste. Once combined, add some of the broth from the soup to the paste and combine. Add that mixture back into the pot.
6. In a small bowl, scoop 1-2 cups of the softened veggies & broth and use an immersion blender to mix. Once blended, add it back into the soup.
7. If you desire an even creamier consistency, repeat steps 5 or 6!
8. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the soup, add additional seasonings to taste, and enjoy!

This was hands down the yummiest batch of chicken noodle soup I may have ever had. The fresh dill, beurre manié, and blended portion really stood out and made it extra tasty. My son has been devouring it and my husband let me know that this batch was a winner too! ◡̈

What I love about this soup – and cooking in general – it’s that it’s hard to actually mess up. You can tweak a recipe or add/remove ingredients to your liking. I’ve made this with mushrooms, without onions, with different noodles, with more and less seasonings, and it’s turned out great every single time.

I know I’m not breaking the internet here, but it’s definitely been a groundbreaking recipe in our house. My hope for 2025 is to share more things that bring me joy – whatever they may be.

Speaking of 2025, I set a handful of big and small goals for myself and for the first time in a long while, I’m feeling super committed to all of them. Life has blessed me in many ways, but in terms of growth – personally and professionally – I’ve felt very stagnant. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but my mind, body, and soul are craving some new challenges. My son is now one years old and I’m as “back to normal” as I think I’m going to get. To be a better version of myself, a better wife, and a better mom, it feels like it’s time for an up level.

Content wise, I’m looking forward to shifting gears a little bit. My life, my interests, and my day to day have drastically changed over the last few years and I’m looking forward to not only embracing that change, but leaning into it on my blog, on YouTube, and on Instagram (maybe TikTok too – unless it’s gone for good next week)!

It’s odd to admit that I don’t know what I want to do with the platforms that I’ve built. I really have no idea. But I do know that I have a variety of interests that I want to dive into. This year is all about releasing the chokehold I’ve had on my voice, sharing what’s on my heart, in my head, and connecting again. I cannot wait to see what direction the winds end up blowing me.

To anyone reading this, I hope you’ve had a good start to the year. Wishing you nothing but success and happiness in 2025. Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO