Chicken noodle soup - the ultimate comfort dish.
Some might say something so good should never be messed with. I decided to do the sacrilegious thing.
If it I didn't this wouldn't be Eat Like No One Else - right?
How am I messing with one of America's favorite comfort foods? I am changing the noodles!
Spaghetti squash has become so popular since I wrote this post back in 2012, that now you can pretty much find it year around along with the butternut and acorn squashes.
Use Spaghetti Squash Instead of Noodles
Noodles are of course always delicious. But what if I could up the nutrition factor. Since we are now in the Autumnal season, I am starting to mess around with squash. After preparing a stewing hen for the first time, I was planning on going with the classic comfort soup. I was going to make my own noodles. But after glancing at the kitchen, I knew the clean up needed I would be unable to do in the allotted time I had before work. That's when the light bulb moment took place. Why not use spaghetti squash like I would the noodles. That squash has a noodle-like texture and I have been telling customers at work that you can use it as a pasta replacement. So why not be crazy and replace it in one of pasta's finest moments.
[irp posts="20846" name="Differences Between Butternut and Acorn Squash"]
Using Stewing Hens
Like previously mentioned I cooked up a stewing hen. This is an older bird that is very flavorful (especially it's broth!) but is tough, so slow cooking is a must. I am going to save talking about that until another blog post - sorry ๐
Really all you need is some shredded chicken how ever you can get it. Those $5 Rotisserie chickens from Costco would certiainly be a tempting easy and cheap choice.
Don't forget to use some good chicken stock. Stock is better than broth as it is made with chicken bones. When it's good stock it will contain gelatin which will give your soup body and that finger licking good taste.
Then it's just a manner of roasting the squash and putting the final soup together.
Ingredients
- 1 whole cooked chicken meat shredded
- 6 cups chicken stock homemade if possible
- 1 lb spaghetti squash
- 3 carrots peeled and cut on the bias
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Carefully slice your squash in half.
- Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt. This will help pull our moisture, speeding up the cooking process.
- Bake in the oven for 45-60 mintues or until the flesh is as soft al dente pasta
- Cool, before removing flesh. Remove with a fork. If strands are too long, cut in half.
- Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add carrots. Simmer until carrots are soft. Then add your chicken, squash, and thyme. Bring back to a boil.
- Add dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
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