Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Image by DonnaGrayson via Flickr

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Here are a couple interesting versions of the well known Chicken Noodle Soup. You can go mad and add herbs and  spices to them if you want to. These are such wonderful comfort foods in the cold of winter or if you are not feeling well. You can serve them up with hot buttered toast or crackers or even with a lovely hot toasted sandwich. The second recipe uses the wonderful full flavoured shitake mushrooms. Really you could use any type of mushroom. Our family loved the Brown mushrooms for lots of flavor.

5 cups hot water
2 tablespoons bouillon or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 46-ounce can chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken, more if you like
1 teaspoon salt, optional
4 cups “homestyle” noodles, uncooked (don’t use egg noodles in crock pot)
1/3 cup celery thinly slices and lightly precooked in microwave
1/3 cup carrots, shredded or chopped

Dissolve bouillon in water and pour into crock pot. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Cover crock pot and cook on low for four to six hours.

Note: This recipe can also be made on the stovetop, cooking about two hours and adding cooked noodles at the end.

EASY Mushroom Chicken Noodle Soup

• 10 dried Shiitake mushrooms
• 100 grams chicken breast
• Garlic cloves, crushed, according to your own taste
• 1 1/2 bell peppers, any color
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• a good handful of fresh Oyster mushrooms
• 1 package noodles, such as Ramen, without the flavor packet

Preparation:

Boil the dried shitake until soft. Run the boiled shiitake under cold water to keep them firm, and chop. Lightly cook the chicken with the garlic. Half-fill a pan with water and add the chicken and mushrooms. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the peppers and the spring onions and cook until they start to soften and look squashed. Put in the fresh oyster mushrooms and the noodles, put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes. Add the oyster sauce and chili powder (how much is up to you). Enjoy.