Chicken & Pasta Broth

Name: Chicken & Pasta Broth
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: chicken broth; chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless; black peppercorns; bay leaves; rosemary leaves; leeks; carrots; pasta, elbow macaroni; sweet red bell peppers; thyme; salt; black pepper; parmesan, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated

Submitted by countryjohn

Clear chicken broth with poached breast, leeks, carrots, red pepper, and elbow macaroni, finished with fresh thyme and Parmesan. A light, herb-scented soup that freezes beautifully.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

40 min

READY

50 min

This is chicken noodle soup dressed up for dinner. Chicken breasts get gently poached in stock with whole peppercorns, bay leaf, and rosemary until tender and flavorful, then the strained broth becomes the base for leeks, carrots, red pepper, and elbow macaroni.

Everything simmers together until the pasta is soft and the vegetables are tender. The sliced chicken goes back in at the end so it stays juicy rather than stringy.

A sprinkle of fresh thyme and a teaspoon of grated Parmesan on each bowl lifts the whole thing. Clean, aromatic, and deeply warming.

Pro Tips

Poach the chicken gently. A hard boil toughens the breast meat. Keep it at a bare simmer with just a few lazy bubbles.
Strain the broth before adding the vegetables and pasta. Removing the peppercorns and bay leaf gives you a clean, clear soup.
This freezes well, but cook the macaroni just shy of done. It’ll soften more when you reheat, so pulling it slightly al dente keeps it from turning mushy.

Ingredients

1.5

LITRES CHICKEN BROTH *

EACH BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST
30 ounces each (90 grams)

TEASPOON BLACK PEPPERCORN
whole

BAY LEAVES
dried, to taste *

ROSEMARY LEAVES
or thyme, to taste *

SMALL LEEK
sliced *

CARROTS
chopped, to taste *

OUNCES PASTA, ELBOW MACARONI

SMALL SWEET RED BELL PEPPER
deseeded, chopped

TABLESPOON THYME
fresh, chopped *

SALT
to taste *

BLACK PEPPER
freshly ground, to taste *

TEASPOONS PARMESAN CHEESE
grated

Directions

Place the stock in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add the chicken breasts, peppercorns, bay leaf and sprig of rosemary or thyme.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the saucepan and leave until cool enough to handle.

Strain the stock and return the liquid to the saucepan.

Add the leeks, carrot and macaroni to the stock.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the chicken breasts in small pieces and add them to the broth along with the red pepper.

Simmer for 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the chopped thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve in warm soup bowls and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of parmesan cheese over each serving.

Freezing recommended