Nothing beats homemade chicken soup and who says you need to have noodles!?
Lunches are a struggle at our house. We never seem to have enough options for something quick during the workday lunch hour. So, to solve this issue we make a meal ahead of time and munch on easy re-heatable leftovers for the week.
I will often make something in the crock-pot like chili, stew, or soup or make a casserole or two. This is the best solution I’ve come up with to ensure we don’t get stuck without healthy options and have to resort to less healthy, more convenient options like…dare I say it…the drive-thru. Thank goodness for places like Jimmy Johns, Inn-N-Out, and Chipotle for those times!
Here’s a good homemade chicken soup recipe sans noodles, but for you gluten-free folks who allow items like gluten-free pasta or rice. You could easily add the starches back in.
I love to have soups on hand. They are a great way to use up leftover meat like chicken or beef and so easy to make in big batches and you can set it and forget it in the crock-pot. They also freeze extremely well, are a great way to get more bone broth in your diet to help manage gut health and inflammation, and are awesome for any meal, even breakfast!
I use these DuraHome - Deli Food Storage Containers With Lids 32 Ounce containers to freeze small portions of soups, stews, and chili. They hold up well to the freezer and stack well. I use them for all kinds of stuff, but they are particularly useful for this.
Homemade Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cups water or 8 cups prepared bone broth or chicken broth
- 1 cup carrot cut into slices
- 1 cup celery cut into slices
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 teaspoons salt to taste
- 1 roasting chicken
Instructions
- Combine water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt in crock-pot.
- Place whole chicken on top of vegetables.
- Cover with lid and cook on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board.
- Discard bay leaves.
- Remove and discard skin, fat, and bones from chicken; shred meat.
- Return chicken to soup and serve.
Natascha Carrel says
I used to love chicken soup and would then make chicken broth out of it, in my slow cooker. It has lots of health benefits.
The only reason I have stopped doing it is, that nowadays we are more orientated towards Vegan food.
It looks delicious tho.