Chicken Noodle Soup with Butternut Squash and Green Beans marydukecooks.com

Just in time for fall, this Chicken Noodle Soup recipe has hearty extra wide egg noodles, butternut squash and green beans. There is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of soup on a chilly night!

Chicken Noodle Soup with Butternut Squash and Green Beans

1 rotisserie chicken
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup chopped celery, ½-inch dice
1 cup chopped yellow onion, ¼-inch dice
½ cup all- purpose flour
1 (32 ounce) carton 33% less sodium chicken broth
1 (32 ounce) carton unsalted chicken stock
4 cups, peeled 1-inch cubed, butternut squash
2 cups, cut 2-inches long, French green beans
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces extra wide egg noodles
1 cup half and half
¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Garnish: Thyme sprigs and toasted butternut squash seeds.

Remove chicken from bones. Save skin and any drippings from chicken in rotisserie chicken container. Reserve chicken, skin and drippings. Discard bones. (The skin provides a lot of flavor. We will “fish” it out of the soup later!)

In a large stockpot heat oil until shimmering over medium high heat. Add celery and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Pour carton of chicken broth into pot. Bring broth to a boil stirring constantly. Broth will slightly thicken.

Add carton of chicken stock, squash, green beans, salt, and pepper to pot. Add reserved chicken, chicken skin and chicken drippings. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 1 hour.  Cook noodles according to package directions during the last 15 minutes of soup’s simmering time then drain.

After soup has simmered 1 hour Fish out chicken skin and discard. Stir in noodles, half and half, parsley and thyme. Garnish with thyme sprigs and toasted butternut squash seeds that have been lightly coated in olive oil and baked in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings. Enjoy!

Tip: This recipe uses chicken broth and chicken stock. Why? If you used 2 cartons of broth there isn’t enough flavor and 2 cartons of stock would be too strong. One of each is just right!

Published in The News and Neighbor on October 10, 2018.