I don’t know about you but every time I go to someones house I want to go through their family recipe box. Seriously! I know it’s tempting to want to go through their closets and messy drawers to see what might be hiding but me… I just want to see their secret recipes. When I go to a flea market, yard sale, or consignment shop, I go straight for the books to see if there are any old recipe books. My favorites are the ones that have been well used. You know… the ones with stains on the pages from splatters. They are a treasure!
In the weeks ahead we will be peeking into the family recipe files of some of my bestest friends. I have asked them to share their favorite holiday recipes with us, one a week up until Christmas. Girls, we will be recipe swappin’ here at She Cooks! I hope you are as excited to see what’s cooking in their homes as I am!
We will begin our holiday recipe swap next week but I do have a special guest today! I asked my friend Renee to share one of her family recipes. Renee is such an encourager so it was no surprise to me when I saw that the recipe she is sharing is for Chicken Noodle Soup. Renee is one of those special people that make you feel better just by being around her. She comforts. She speaks Truth. She encourages. She loves. She inspires. She prays. She is such a blessing in my life so I am thrilled to share her with you. Oh… she is also giving away a copy of my e-book, Sharing Grace.
P.S. If you want to see the most adorable bundle of pinkness ever… visit www.ReneeSwope.com and feast your eyes on Renee’s precious daughter, Aster. That child just makes you smile 
OK – Friends, meet Renee…
Chicken Noodle Soup for a Family’s Soul
There is nothing that says I love you like a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup! I made some this week as a special treat for my teenage boys. Oh how I loved hearing their oohs and ahhs as they walked in the door and smelled the broth boiling.
I made this recipe up one day when my kids were asking me to make “Grandma’s soup.” I didn’t have grandma’s recipe so I created my own, and they loved it!!! Now, it’s the meal I make when I want to say, “I love you.” And it’s the meal I bring to friends or the meal I fix for guests we have over for dinner in the winter. Here is what I use:
1 – Garlic and Herb Rotisserie Chicken (store-bought)- 2 – 14 oz cans of Chicken broth
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp parsley
- a dozen baby carrots
- pinch of celery salt
- salt and pepper
- water
- 1 package Pappardelle nests (noodles)
Making “Homemade” Broth
I pull all of the meat off the chicken and set it aside. Then I put whatever is left of the chicken (skin, bones and all) in a large pot with 2-3 cups of water, parsley, oregano, baby carrots and celery salt. I let it come to a boil, then turn the heat down and allow it to simmer for 20-30 mins with a lid to make sure the broth only cooks down but doesn’t all evaporate.
I strain the broth into a large bowl and refrigerate it for an hour so I can skim off the fat. If I don’t have time for that, I just put it back in the pot and finish the soup.
Putting it all together
In a large soup pot, combine the broth with 2 cans of broth ( I use both to make sure it’s salty enough), add the chicken and 4 noodle nests. You can use any kind of noodle, but since Grandma uses noodle nests, I now use noodle nests.
This recipe is so simple and so yummy my fifteen year old wrote about it in a poem for literature last year. Now that is something this momma will always treasure. I’d love to share it with you and enter your name in my drawing for a copy of LeAnn’s fabulous Recipe E-book “Sharing Grace.” Visit www.reneeswope.com where I’m posting Josh’s poem and announcing my give-away today. And I hope your family and friends enjoy this soup as much as mine!
OK friends, I am seriously craving a warm bowl of Renee’s Chicken Noodle Soup! This truly sounds like comfort in a bowl. Thanks Renee!
Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting you said this. Just tonight I was cooking with my daughter, and we spilled some sauce on the pages of the cookbook. It was an empty book with lined pages that I got 20 years ago, and I’ve filled the pages throughout the years with my favorite family recipes. Anyway, I took a paper towel and wiped away the sauce, but as I did it I realized that this stain would remain there forever. It will always be a reminder to us of moments we spent cooking together. I told her that, saying, “One day this cookbook will be yours and when you look at these pages, you can be reminded of the moments we shared in the kitchen together.” It’s much like the passages we underline in our Bible. They are stains on the pages that remind us of times spent with the Lord.
Hey, I made the pumpkin cheesecake … yummy fall goodness! Thanks for sharing
I made the pumpkin Clouds for my CASA class and also for my mom who can’t eat eggs. She thought they were wonderful and we made a second batch together and used white chocolate chips. o so yummy!! Thanks!!
First of all, I am so excited about your friends sharing their favorite recipes. How fun!
Secondly, I so, so heart Renee.
I have gone by her blog for a while now, but I met her for the first time in person at She Speaks this year…and what impressed me the most about her is that she is indeed every bit as “warm” in person as she comes across on her blog.
Cannot wait to make this soup…may even have to have it tonight!
I love to cook. I too LOVE to go thru recipe books. A cousin of mine has this obession with them and has boxes and boxes of them and we have really enjoyed going thru them. Then another cousin of mine thas 2 boxes full of 5 subject notebooks full of her cajun grandmas recipes! I want to go thru those so bad!!!
So glad to have found your site, thank you for sharing! I am coming over from Renees blog.
Question about the Chicken Soup…how do the noodles cook? It doesn’t really say. I am not familiar with “noodle nests” are they pre-cooked? If not, how long does it take to cook the noodles in the broth?
Ok, that did it. I’ve been sicky all week and this is just what the Dr. Renee ordered. I’m fixin’ it! Thanks honey!
Hello. I’m 26 years old and I’ve been married for one year and 8 months. When I lived in my parent’s house I used to cook not too often but generaly everyone loved it. I think it was because I did it with great love and passion, even if there were simple meals I tried to make everyone happy. Then we I got married it began to change, at the begining everythin was ok (a little difucult cause I married an italian guy and usualy their moms are great cookers) but it was good. Then the problem now is that I’m almost always out of ideas
I used to to say to myself that when I got married I was going to cook with a great variety but that didn’t happened. I love to cook for my husband, family and friends, but I lack a little bit of ideas o fantasy (because it’s not the same when you have to decide every day’s menu). But anyway I’ m happy and love the role that God gave us women in our families. Thanks for letting me share my story. many blessings.
PS. I just have to say it, loved Darline’s story very very sweet, hope one day to have a daughter and live moments like that one.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your page!! I collect recipes, and love to cook delicious meals for my family.. Problem is, I am a working mother and most of my energy is expended at work.. Thus I have another love.. My slow cooker!! I am anxious to try out the recipes you have posted.. and I have always wanted to make homemade chicken noodle soup….. Thanks for sharing!!
So there’s no carrots in the soup? You just use them to make the broth and then throw them out? Do you cook the noodles according to the directions? I can’t wait to make this! It will be a good weekend for it since my family has strep-throat……..yuck!
I, too, want to make this recipe in the next few days, but would like to know how long you put the noodles, with the broth and chicken on the stove prior to serving. Can you revise the recipe to include that information? I love your website and the recipes. I love when I get an email with an new one. THANK YOU for sharing all your yummies with us
Sooooo excited. I’ve been looking for a yummy and easy homemade chicken noodle soup recipe. yaay!! Thanks Renee and LeAnn xoxo
Thank You for sharing this recipe. It was a life savor this morning since I am putting my subsitute teacher hat on to go and play with a group of toddlers:) Cannot wait to come home and smell the aroma of Chicken Noodle soup. Love using the crock-pot!
Blessings to you!!
The Chicken Noodle Soup was outstanding!!! I made it yesterday and it was a HUGE hit with the family! You made me look like a cooker! Thanks!!!
Danette
hi,
I made this chicken noodle soup last night and i loved it.
I am not great in the kitchen, but this turned out wonderful.
I am going to start cooking more now.
It was great that my daughter Wanted to help too.
she is 4.
thank you so much for your website, emails and bloggs.
michelle
I made this tonight. I thought it was great but it did not look near as creamy as your picture.. Did I miss something with that?? I used egg noodles because I could not find the nests. Will make again.. thanks!
I love reading about all of you who have tried the Chicken Noodle soup. Someone asked about the noodles. Once all of the ingredients are in the pot without the noodles, I bring it to a low boil. Then I break up the noodles since they are so long (should have included that detail earlier :->) andladd them to the broth with chicken and let them cook on low boil until desired tenderness. Then I turn the heat to low and let them simmer another 10-15mins before I turn off the heat. The broth thickens over time. I think the type of noodles I use definitely makes it thicken and I’m pretty sure you won’t get that with egg noodles.
Today I am getting brave and trying Red Beans & Rice in the crockpot. You’d have to read my story on my blog to understand why this is a big deal. Haven’t attempted RB&Rice in 17 years since I had a “cooker catastrophe” the last time.