Grown-up Chicken Noodle Soup

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth or 8 cups homemade chicken stock
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large leek, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• 1 stalk celery, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 carrot, cut into 1 1/2 inch julienne strips
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 portabella mushroom caps, cut in half and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 6 cups fresh spinach
• 2 star anise
• 2 four inch cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces egg noodles
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 in a large pot, combine broth, anise and cinnamon.
• 2 cook over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes until fragrant.
• 3 add chicken to liquid and poach until just cooked (about 15 minutes).
• 4 remove chicken to a plate to cool.
• 5 bring salted water to a boil in a medium size pot.
• 6 add noodles and cook al dente, 4-6 minutes.
• 7 strain noodles and rinse with cold water, then set aside.
• 8 heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
• 9 saute leek, celery, carrot and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant.
• 10 add portobello mushroom and saute for 5 minutes.
• 11 remove anise and cinnamon from broth.
• 12 add broth to sauteed vegetables, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• 13 meanwhile, slice the cool chicken breasts into 1/4 inch pieces.
• 14 add chicken, noodles and spinach to the simmering broth.
• 15 cook for 2-4 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
• 16 taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to suite.
• 17 serve immediately with a hearty chunk of french bread.