Freezer-Ready Chicken Noodle Soup

I said yes to the workshop. I spent a week pretending I was still thinking about it, the way I always do when I have already decided and just need time for my anxiety to catch up to my intention, and then I called Sister Williams on Thursday and told her I would do it. She said she knew I would. I asked how. She said because I love helping people almost as much as I love being organized. She is not wrong, and I am choosing to take that as a compliment.

I have been planning it all week. The accountant in me has drafted a handout with three columns: ingredient, quantity, cost per serving. I have timed myself assembling taco soup, four bags in twenty-two minutes; chicken enchiladas, six bags in thirty-one minutes; shepherd's pie filling, three bags in eighteen minutes. I have a spreadsheet with a tab for ingredient costs and a tab for timing. I might have a problem, but the problem produces useful data, so I am calling it a gift.

The weather has been Utah in late February, cold in the morning and teasingly warm by afternoon, then cold again before you have remembered your coat, which is at home because it was warm when you left. I made a double batch of chicken noodle soup on Sunday, not because anyone was sick but because chicken noodle soup is what I make when the world feels uncertain. Six bags into the freezer. Brandon labeled them without being asked. He has been doing that lately, appearing in the kitchen during prep and picking up a task silently. I do not know if this is therapy working its quiet way through him or just Brandon being Brandon. I am choosing to accept it either way.

Noah has been on a soup strike this week. He is three and has discovered that the word no is a complete sentence, and he applies it to soups, vegetables, and the concept of bedtime with equal conviction. I removed the chicken from his bowl, put it on a plate, and he ate every bite with the satisfaction of a negotiator who has won. I said nothing. I wrote it down in the mental file I keep under the heading: this child will negotiate everything, forever, and usually win.

The workshop is set for the second Saturday in June. Three months away. I will use every minute of it to practice.

With the workshop three months out and Noah staging his soup rebellion and Brandon quietly showing up in ways I’m still learning to receive, I needed a recipe that could hold all of it—something I could make in volume, stash away, and return to when the week gets loud. Chicken noodle soup is my reset, and this version is built for exactly that kind of life: make a big pot, freeze half, and know that future-me is covered. Here’s how I do it.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 8 (doubles easily for freezer batches)

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups wide egg noodles (see freezer note)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden. Remove to a plate; it does not need to be cooked through yet.
Soften the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Build the broth. Pour in chicken broth. Return chicken to the pot. Add thyme, parsley, rosemary, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes.
Shred the chicken. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred into bite-sized pieces. Return shredded chicken to the pot.
Add noodles (if serving immediately). Stir in egg noodles and simmer uncovered 7–8 minutes until just tender. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt.
For freezer bags. If batch-cooking for the freezer, do not add noodles to the pot. Ladle the broth, vegetables, and shredded chicken into labeled gallon zip-top freezer bags in 2-cup portions. Lay flat to freeze. Add dry noodles to each bag in a small separate bag or zippered snack bag clipped inside, or simply note on the label to cook 2 oz of noodles fresh when reheating. Keeps up to 3 months.
To reheat from frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or place sealed bag in a bowl of cold water for 45 minutes. Transfer to a saucepan, bring to a simmer, add noodles, and cook 7–8 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Freezer-Ready Chicken Noodle Soup — The Batch I Make When the World Feels Uncertain