The goal? To keep them all healthy. I have been finding the sneakiest ways to incorporate onion & garlic into my kids meals over the brisk Canadian winter season. Let me tell you, it's not always easy. Of course we do the regular circuit of vitamins (D3, multi, B12)... but that's just the front of the greeting card when your kids are out in the world during flu season. 

I have two teenagers in high school, touching every railing and walking all over sharing desks in multiple classes per day... and then I have a 4 year old in school who I have to (constantly) remind not to lick the grocery shopping cart when we're out. My husband and I are both full-time working professionals who prefer to minimize our sick days as much as possible. 

Okay let's get into it... this recipe takes only 30 minutes.

The main difference between this one, and the one that takes 3 hours is: 1) you're not going to make your own broth, and 2) you're using a whole rotisserie chicken from the store. You don't need to be a hero, you just don't want to eat canned soup. Let's go.

Ingredients: 
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup small, thinly sliced celery (from about 1-2 stalks)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion (about 1/4 of a large onion)
  • 2/3 cup small, thinly sliced (peeled) carrot (about 2 thin carrots)
  • 64 ounces fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken breast 
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 4 ounces whole wheat elbow pasta (or other small shape)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
  • Optional: minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions: 
  • In a large soup pot, heat oil briefly over medium heat. Add celery, onion, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning.
  • Add broth, chicken, and dried parsley. Cover and bring soup to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then increase heat to bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta and continue gently boiling (covered) until pasta is done (following time recommendation on pasta package).
  • Taste and season with salt, as needed, so the flavors pop. (This can vary a bit depending on your brand of chicken broth, but we find approximately 3/4 teaspoon typically works well.) Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Other Notes: 

Chicken: A standard grocery store rotisserie chicken should yield about 2 cups of chopped or shredded breast meat. But, there is definite variation, and if your bird is a bit on the smaller side, you may need to also include a little dark meat to yield 2 full cups.

Make-ahead and freezing tips: You can chop the vegetables and chicken earlier in the day or the day before, covering and refrigerating vegetables and chicken separately until you're ready to make this soup. In addition, this soup rewarms well later. The noodles will soften a bit more upon standing, but are still delicious. In addition, this soup also freezes well.