By Laura Mack
September 27, 2016
Savory, filling, and comforting, this Keto Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles tastes like you slaved for hours. My secret shortcut uses store-bought rotisserie chicken and prepared chicken stock to make a soup that is as good (or better) than mom’s in little more than an hour. It may even cure the common cold. OK, maybe not, but it will vastly improve one’s outlook, whether sick or healthy! Autumn officially started last week, so it’s time to bust out one of my favorite soup recipes. Of course, it’s delicious all year round, but it’s particularly satisfying in the Fall and Winter seasons.
For those of us following a whole foods, low carb way of eating, prepared soups and stocks (while they may look healthy), are usually filled with starches, sugars, and lots of chemical wizardry in an attempt to improve the otherwise lackluster flavor. Not surprisingly, it’s healthier, cheaper, and far more delicious to make your own soup. In the case of prepared stocks, there are a few high-quality options that can make life a little easier.
Having been to culinary school, I am well-versed in how to make a classic chicken stock (bone broth) from scratch, and I do it fairly regularly to keep an inventory of homemade chicken stock in my freezer. However, when I’m out of stock (pun intended), or if I purchase a rotisserie chicken and don’t want the bones and such to go to waste, I whip up a batch of semi-homemade chicken broth. Enhancing the prepared chicken stock in this way not only adds rich flavor, it also contributes body from the collagen (gelatin) released from simmering the bones and cartilage. Collagen is nutritious and can be beneficial to health in a number of ways.
One large rotisserie chicken (I usually purchase mine at Costco) generally yields about 2 pounds of meat. The bones, along with 4 quarts of prepared high-quality chicken broth and a few seasonings, yields four quarts of delicious, full-bodied chicken broth ready for soup. If I’m planning to use all of the chicken meat for some purpose other than soup, I’ll freeze the chicken broth (usually in 16 ounce portions). Yesterday, however, called for a steaming pot of Keto Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles. In this case, I needed only half of the chicken meat, leaving about a pound for some other use, such as chicken salad or a stir-fry. Bonus!
It takes just a few simple steps:
- Remove all of the skin from the bird. If you like chicken skin, as I do, nosh on the tasty bits and discard the rest. Separate meat from the carcass, reserving the bones and cartilage, but discarding most of the visible fat.
- Place the bones and cartilage in a large stockpot with 4 quarts of prepared chicken stock (high quality is important), along with a few aromatics and seasonings, and simmer for 45 minutes.
- While the stock is simmering, prepare the rest of the ingredients: making the egg ‘noodles’, dicing the chicken and veggies, and chopping fresh herbs.
- Strain out the solids and return the now-enhanced broth to the pot. Simmer the veggies for 10 minutes, add the remaining ingredients to heat through, and serve.
The entire process takes a little over an hour from start to finish, but the steps are straightforward. I find the preparation quite zen-like, actually. I am further rewarded with 8 generous entree-size portions (2 cups each) of seriously tasty soup. The soup will keep in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. With only two of us in my home, we usually end up freezing half of it, portion-size, in heavy-duty resealable bags. In either event, just a few minutes of reheating on the stove or in the microwave yields a hearty lunch or dinner. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I firmly believe that if I am going to invest more than 30 minutes in the kitchen, I intend to get more than one meal out of it!
Now, you’re probably wondering what the the egg noodles are all about, this being a keto/low carb recipe. The egg ‘noodles’ are simply a thin, open-face omelet sliced into strips to resemble traditional noodles. They look like noodles, their flavor is neutral, and they add a little extra protein to the dish with no additional carbs! It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare the noodles, and I think they make a whimsical (and nutritious) addition. Of course, you could leave them out if you prefer. Or you could simply whisk the beaten eggs into the hot soup, a la Egg Drop Soup.
The 4 carbs in each serving comes from the vegetables, which is a righteous way to spend your carb allowance. While I don’t usually eat many peas and carrots, a small quantity adds to the flavor and eye appeal here, while still keeping the dish very low carb. The soup is relatively low in fat, however, so you could round out your meal with a generously-dressed salad or perhaps top it off with a sweet fat bomb, such as my Chocolate Almond Truffle Fudge.
I couldn’t be more happy with this Keto Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. We welcome your questions or comments!
Keto Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles
Author: Laura Mack
Recipe type: Soup
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 8
Savory, filling, and comforting, this Keto Soup with Egg 'Noodles' tastes like you slaved for hours. My secret shortcut uses store-bought rotisserie chicken and prepared chicken stock to make a soup that is as good (or better) than mom's in little more than an hour. As a bonus, the soup uses only half of the chicken meat, with just about a pound left for some other use.
Ingredients
1 large rotisserie chcken
4 quarts chicken stock, prepared, high quality
1 small onion, unpeeled
4 stalks celery, divided
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
8 stems parsley (optional)
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 teaspooons avocado oil or ghee
4 large eggs
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ large red bell pepper, stem, seeds, and membranes removed (about 4 ounces)
4 ounces peeled and trimmed carrots
4 ounces frozen green peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, OR 2 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, OR 2 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons tamari, or soy sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove all of the skin from the chicken, and reserve for another use or discard. Pull all of the meat off the bones and set aside. Remove excess pieces of fat from the bones and discard. Place bones in a large stockpot, along with any juices. Add 4 quarts of boxed chicken stock to the pot and place on the stove over high heat.
- While chicken stock is heating, quarter the onion, skin and all, and rough chop one stalk of celery. Add onion and celery to stock, along with garlic cloves, parsley stems (if using), peppercorns, and bay leaf. When the stock comes to a full boil, reduce heat to low and adjust as need to maintain a simmer for 45 minutes.
- While the stock is simmering, prepare the remaining ingredients. Dice or tear the chicken into small pieces (about ½"), discarding any noticeable pieces of fat or cartilage. Divide in chicken into two portions. Reserve half for the soup and set aside. The remaining chicken can be saved for another use. Wrap well and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 6 months.
- To prep the egg 'noodles', pour avocado oil into a 12" non-stick skillet and place over low heat. Whisk the eggs with ⅛ teaspoon salt until very well blended. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, cover, and let cook gently until the eggs are set (no wet spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a spatula and flip the open-face omelet over to finish cooking on the other side, about 1 minute. Transfer to a cutting board to cool. When the omelet is completely cool, about 10 minutes, cut the omelet in half and stack the two pieces. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the omelet crosswise into thin strips to resemble noodles. Set aside.
- Dice the red bell pepper and carrots, along with the remaining 3 stalks of celery, into small pieces (about ½") and set aside. If using fresh herbs, chop the parsley and chives, and set aside.
- When the stock, has simmered for 45 minutes, remove from heat and strain through a mesh strainer, pushing firmly on solids to extract the juice. Discard the solids and return the broth (strained stock) to the pot. Return the pot to the stove over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the diced bell pepper, carrots, and celery (and dried herbs, if using) and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- When the stock has simmered for 45 minutes, remove from heat and strain through a mesh strainer, pushing firmly on solids to extract the juice. Discard the solids and return the broth (strained stock) to the pot. Return the pot to the stove over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the diced bell pepper, carrots, and celery (and dried herbs, if using) and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved chicken to the pot, along with peas and egg 'noodles'. Simmer for 5 minutes or so, until heated through. Stir in fresh herbs, if using. Add tamari and taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and/or pepper, if needed, before serving. Cool any leftovers over an ice bath until soup is at room temperature. Transfer soup to a covered storage container(s) and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutritional info* for 1 serving (about 2 cups): 218 cal, 10.8 g total fat (44%), 5.8 g total carbs, 1.7 g fiber, 4.1 g net carbs, and 22.9 g protein.
*I use Living Cookbook 2015, along with package information and data from www.nutritiondata.self.com, to calculate the nutritional information for my recipes. Thus, I can make no guarantees as to the accuracy.
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