Inspired by the ever-classic chicken noodle soup, we’d probably call this version of it a noodle chicken soup, and, while soup might seem like a bit of a stretch, we can assure you this at least started out as a soup…and then the noodles absorbed all the creamy, amazing goodness and we just decided to keep it that way and keep calling it a soup. But you can call it whatever you want!
This parmesan noodle chicken soup is about as comforting and cozy-inducing as it could possibly get. If this doesn’t make you want to curl up and hibernate next to a fireplace, we don’t know what will. It’s got a lot of the same staples we would expect from a chicken noodle soup – noodles, chicken, carrots, onion, celery and chicken stock – but it’s got plenty that differentiates it from the traditional version and really kicks things up a notch….
First things first, this is a roux-based soup, which is part of why it’s so über creamy. That, and the fact that we added not one, but two cups of parmesan cheese make this extra thick and delicious. Using tubetti pasta was another change we made from the more expected version; we love these little tubes so much, as they get coated in the cheesy, soup-y mixture and it means more creaminess per bite. We can’t argue with that. A little white wine adds more flavor as you cook your veggies, a pinch of red pepper flakes offer a bit of spice…this soup, in one fell swoop, has earned its spot in our recipe arsenal and we’re pretty sure we’ll be making it throughout the cold months!
INGREDIENTS:
Roux:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Noodles:
1 (16 oz.) box uncooked ditalini or tubetti or shell pasta
Soup:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 parmesan rind, optional
4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 cups parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, garnish
PREPARATION:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour once butter has melted, whisking to create roux.
Let roux cook, while stirring continuously, for 2-3 minutes, or until golden, then continue to whisk and pour in milk and heavy cream.
Cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion, carrot and celery for 8-10 minutes, or until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant, then seasoning with parsley, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
Pour in white wine and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, then add bay leaves and pour in chicken broth.
Add shredded chicken and ditalini and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add thickened roux and cook for 5 minutes, or until mixture is warmed through and pasta is al dente.
Stir in parmesan cheese until melted and serve hot.
Top with fresh parsley and enjoy.