There is something very special about homemade chicken stock. The depth of flavor achieved with some fresh ingredients, simmered for a few hours is unbeatable, really. And once you have this aromatic, blank canvas of seasoned liquid gold, the recipes you can create-soups, curries and all, is unlimited! This creation is wholesome chicken noodle soup that we all love, but just exalted to a different level of taste, texture and comfort level, assigning it more of a curry title. We start off with our basic mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots but, as Emeril Lagasse would say, we “kick it up a notch” with shallots, red + yellow + orange peppers and fresh thyme, resulting in a fantastic combination of flavors.
Once the chicken stock has simmered for a few hours, the tender, juicy pieces of chicken are removed and the flavorful seasoned stock is layered with some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and velvety smooth cream. The cooled, shredded chicken is then added back to the soup. But wait, there’s a bit more! I also decided to incorporate some softened brown rice noodles and finish with glistening, roasted rosemary mushrooms piled on top right before serving (white mushrooms + lemon zest + tons of garlic + lemon slices + fresh rosemary + butter =yum). And there you have it. The most amazing, hearty and delicious bowl of chicken noodle ‘soupish’ curry. I promise you won’t be disappointed when gulping it down on a cold winter night!
Thyme Chicken Noodle Curry with Roasted Rosemary Mushrooms
Ingredients
For Chicken Stock
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 lb whole chicken pieces
- 2 tbsp grape seed oil
- 1 large yellow onion *sliced
- 1 shallot *sliced
- 7 garlic cloves *mashed
- 1 red pepper *deseeded and sliced
- 1 yellow pepper *deseeded and sliced
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 cup celery sticks *sliced
- 1 cup carrots *shredded
- 1 jalapeño *deseeded and sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper *freshly cracked
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese *freshly grated
For Mushrooms
- 1½ lbs white mushrooms *sliced
- 6-7 cloves fresh garlic *sliced
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 2-3 lemon slices
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tbsp butter *cubed
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper *freshly cracked
- 2 tbsp grape seed oil
Other Ingredients
- 8 oz noodles *I used brown rice noodles
Instructions
For Chicken Stock
- Clean, rinse and pat dry chicken (breasts + whole pieces).
- Heat grape seed oil in large Dutch oven on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium and add sliced onions and shallots and sauté for 5 minutes. Now add the mashed garlic cloves, sliced peppers, jalapeño, celery and shredded carrots and continue to cook for 20 minutes, mixing as needed. Add the chicken bouillon cubes and fresh thyme leaves, mix and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Now add chicken pieces, mix well to coat, turn heat to medium high and cook chicken for 10 minutes until it changes color and is lightly browned. Now add vegetable stock + water and bring to a boil on high heat. Now turn heat to low, cover Dutch oven and simmer for at least 1.5 hours.
For Mushrooms
- While stock is simmering, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a baking sheet, add sliced white mushrooms, sliced garlic cloves, lemon zest, a couple of lemon slices, cubed butter, freshly cracked black pepper, Kosher salt, fresh rosemary and a drizzle of grape seed oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes (mixing at least once in between). Set aside.
For Final Assembly
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove cooked chicken pieces from stock and set aside to cool. Turn heat off and using an immersion blender, carefully blend stock base to a smooth consistency (or purée in blender, if easier). Turn heat to medium high, add cream and cheese to puréed stock , mix well and bring to a boil. Now turn heat to low and simmer for a final 10-12 minutes. Shred cooled chicken pieces (discard all bones) and set aside.
- Cook noodles, per package instructions and slightly cool.
- With heat off, add cooled, shredded chicken and noodles to curry. Gently stir to incorporate. Ladle curry into bowls and top with roasted rosemary mushrooms. Hearty and delicious Thyme Chicken Noodle Curry with Roasted Rosemary Mushrooms is now ready to serve. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.