rotochick chicken noodle soup
My friend Melissa once called store-bought rotisserie chickens “rotochicks,” and I haven’t called them anything else since. When I’m in a mood and a half, I usually want chicken soup, but in those moments, roasting a chicken isn’t exactly a high priority. So using the rotochick isn’t a cheat move—it’s a conscious decision that will make everyone happier.
Growing up, I’d make this soup with my dad, and he would reheat it all week long. Sitting at the table, I’d thickly butter what felt like hundreds of saltine crackers and slide them over to him one by one. To this day, this soup doesn’t feel right to me without them, and the last sip of soup is like a buttery, brothy dessert. Oh baby.
ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 medium carrots, cut into coins (2 cups)
6 celery stalks, cut into half moons (2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups cooked wide egg noodles (about 3 ounces dried noodles)
2½ cups mixed shredded dark and light rotochick meat (from a large rotisserie chicken)
steps
In a big soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until the carrots soften slightly, about 5 minutes.
Add the bay leaf and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to meld the flavors.
Stir in the noodles and chicken and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Season to taste with more salt and pepper and discard the bay leaf.
Serve with buttered saltines, if you want to be like me and my dad.
