More Sandra Lee than Ellie Kreeger...

I love chicken soup. 


Apparently my mom liked Maurice Sendak - this, "Eating Chicken Soup With Rice",  was a staple in our reading along with "In the Night Kitchen" and "Where The Wild Things Are."


I would eat it three nights a week for dinner all fall and winter.

I don't have time to be all fancy like The Whole Life Nutirition Kitchen on a Thursday night when hubby calls me at 2pm to tell me I need to pick up @Iambooboolala.

I don't care either because I have my short-cuts.

Mommy Lisa's Chicken Soup Shortcuts:

Keep on hand low sodium, pre-grilled chicken breasts, in whole - strips - pieces (I get Costco's CHEAP - also good for fast quesadillas, etc.)
Keep on hand low sodium chicken stock/broth, your preference really (Costco's Organic or Pacifico are my go-to's)
Keep on hand onions, or MY preference shallot (keep shallot in w/garlic in your keeper)
Keep on hand garlic - you can even be lazy and get it pre-processed for this recipe!
Keep on hand Freeze-Dried cilantro! 
Keep on hand egg noodles - I buy whichever are on sale here.

When you get home and have little time and need some chicken soup do this - feeds four with at least ONE leftover lunch.

Put 3 16 ounce containers of chicken stock into pot (six cups)
Cut 1/2 onion or 1 shallot into thin slices and put into the stock
Bring stock and shallot (or onion or both) to a boil
Do any veggie chopping while this is heating up - I usually add 2 cups veggies in total
When stock is boiling add egg noodles - my family LOVES noodly soup so I use about 1 pound you can adjust to your preference - you COULD and I have - use up partial boxes of regular noodles here.  Or use up leftover cooked rice.
Let all come back to a boil and add any raw veggie you like
Let come back to a boil and then add any frozen veggie you may have chosen
Let come back to a boil and add 1 to 1.5 cups of chicken diced to your preference & 1-2 tsp garlic
Allow to boil until egg noodles are done.
Spoon into bowl and top with cilantro - OR chili sauce...mmm.

It total it usually takes me about 20 minutes to make this soup.

Not fancy, not foodie, but good and satisfying when you don't have a lot of time.

Enjoy.