Cooking Light magazine has been a go-to resource for me for over 20 years. While the magazine has changed dramatically over the years, their focus on healthy & great-tasting recipes has remained a priority. I found this recipe in their December 2014 issue and it has been a household dinner staple ever since. My son begs me to make him this soup on a regular basis. This version of chicken noodle soup offers a few twists by introducing sweet parsnips and spinach into the soup… and what great additions they are! This is a wonderful family-friendly meal that is healthy to boot. I did make a few changes to the original recipe but it is very close to the Cooking Light version. I tend to cook with chicken breasts because I prefer white meat so I cut down on the chicken cook time. I also increased the time for the veggies so that they would develop a wonderful golden caramelization. This soup is perfect during cold season and is perfect with a crusty bread. Enjoy!
Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/5 cups of chopped onion
- 1.5 cups diagonally sliced carrots
- 3/4 cup of diagonally sliced parsnips
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 7 cups chicken stock
- 5 flat leaf parsley sprigs
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 lbs chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 oz. medium egg noodle
- 4 cups baby spinach, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat large dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat.
Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.
Add onion, carrots, parsnips, and garlic to pan.
Saute for 5-10 minutes until caramelized; stirring occasionally
Add chicken stock, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, chicken, and bay leaves.
Place lid on pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes (until chicken reached internal temperature of 160 F).
Remove chicken from pan. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes.
About 5 minutes after removing the chicken, remove vegetables from pan and set aside in a bowl.
Remove parsley, thyme and bay leaves and discard.
Increase heat to medium-high to bring back to boil.
After 10 minute rest, shred chicken.
Stir in noodles and cook according to package instructions; about 6 minutes.
Return shredded chicken and vegetables to soup. Stir in spinach.
Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.





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