Penne-Chicken Soup

This for me, is truly comfort food. It's one of those dishes that I want to eat when I'm sad, or during bleak, rainy days. It wasn't really raining when I made this, I just wanted some hot, piping bowl of soupy goodness. 

On a side note, when my husband saw that I was adding evaporated milk to my bowl, he thought it was a bit strange. I tried to make him add milk to his bowl too, so he would know how good it would taste, and he did so but sparingly. Really, he missed out on a lot! The milk made the soup creamier and tastier. Do you add milk to your soup too? 


What you need: 

2 large chicken breasts
4 hotdogs, coined 
about 2 cups penne noodles
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic
1 large carrot, diced
2 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup evaporated milk (plus more for serving)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
grated parmesan cheese (for garnish)


What to do: 

Boil the chicken in a pot with lightly salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then shred. Save the broth.

In a separate pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter and saute the garlic and onions. Add the carrots and shredded chicken, cook for about a minute, then pour in about 5 to 6 cups of the saved chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper, according to taste. Add the penne and coined hotdogs, lower the heat to medium, and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is soft (not al dente). 

Remove from heat and add evaporated milk and dried parsley. Stir. Ladle to bowls and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and more milk. Serve hot.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. When boiling the chicken, make sure it is submerged completely in water.
2. Use pre-packaged chicken stock or water if you don't have enough saved from boiling the chicken.
3. Other types of pasta would also work for this dish.
4. I prefer the noodles a bit soft for this recipe. You may want yours al dente. If so, lessen the cooking time to about 9 minutes.
5. Add more evaporated milk for a yummier soup!