I want to begin this column by stating thank you for all the well wishes for my new husband and I. Gene Burns, Callicoon’s local pharmacist and I married on September 16th after 7 years of dating. It truly could not have been a better weekend, especially since it has been cold and rainy ever since that day. I went back to school teaching shortly after the wedding (our honeymoon will be this summer), and if there’s one thing any teacher will tell you.... you cannot escape getting your student’s germs. The third week into school I found myself sneezing uncontrollably with a runny nose. With it raining outside and a runny nose, there was only one thing left to do. Make the best possible chicken noodle soup that I could which would comfort me and help to heal me at the same time. I added ginger, garlic, and fresh lemon juice into this recipe which always makes me feel better. 

The best part? This can come together in one pot, and takes under an hour to prepare. I used a nice shortcut, which is using chicken broth to save on time, so you’re not boiling down an entire chicken. A great tip is to use chicken thighs while making chicken noodle soup as well. They have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken! 

Servings: 4

You will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion diced

3 carrots peeled and diced

2 ribs celery diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon fresh ground ginger (you can buy fresh ginger paste in the produce section and add that!) 

1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped

6 cups chicken stock (add more if you like more broth!)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs

¾ cup ditalini pasta (or elbow macaroni!)

juice of 1 lemon

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

Chop and prep all of your ingredients ahead of time. This soup comes together very quickly and has a lot of moving parts. 

Begin by heating a tablespoon of oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add in your chopped carrots, celery and onion and cook 3-4 minutes.

Next, stir in your garlic, ginger paste, thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes).

Add in your chicken stock, bay leaves, and 1 cup of water. Add in your chicken and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat down and simmer, covered for 12 minutes until your chicken is cooked through. After 12 minutes, remove your chicken and shred using 2 forks and set aside.

Next, you can add in your pasta and cook 8-10 minutes in the broth, however, I like to cook my pasta separately and add it into the soup when plating. Pasta in soups tend to absorb all the broth. (Cook your pasta in a separate pot and add some in at the end and thank me later.)

Into your soup, add back in your chicken, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove your bay leaves and serve immediately with pasta. Stay well and enjoy!