Mississippi Chicken Soup

I love soup. I can eat soup any time of year. It is just so comforting. Typically, during the summer, I enjoy a delicious bowl of soup on gloomy days or when it is raining/storming out. It just makes you feel good. This recipe for Mississippi chicken soup is something I came up with because I wanted the flavors of Crockpot Mississippi chicken in soup form. I tweaked some of the ingredients and made it into a soup. It is a bit more light and not cream cheese-heavy. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Crockpot Mississippi Chicken, but sometimes I want the same flavors in a lighter version.

Now, with this soup, you can add any mix of vegetables that you like. Sometimes I add in just onion. Sometimes I like to add carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes and leave out the noodles. Whatever mix of vegetables you like and add to this, it will be delicious.

Let me share with you this yummy soup.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Chicken breast – boneless and skinless (or whatever you have on hand)
10 C. Chicken broth or stock
1 Pkt. Au Jus or Brown Gravy mix
1 Pkt. (2 Tbsp) Ranch Powder (whatever blend or brand is your favorite)
3 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 C. Pepperoncini Peppers with the juice – diced
1 Onion – Diced
1 Garlic Clove – minced
2 Tsp. Parsley – dried
Pepper – to taste
Bread for dipping – optional
1/3 C. Cream
3 C. egg noodles

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large soup pot add the chicken, broth, au jus or brown gravy, pepper, ranch powder, butter, pepperoncini peppers, and parsley. Stir to combine well. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Add the onion and garlic. (at this point you can add any other vegetables you like such as carrots and celery) Bring back to a boil and reduce heat back to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 more minutes. You can cover this with a lid and add more broth or water if needed.
3. Remove the chicken and add in about 2 to 3 cups of egg noodles (substitutions are below. Shred the chicken and set aside. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the noodles are done. Add the chicken back in and stir. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasoning to taste and serve with bread for dipping.

• Top with cilantro or parsley for an added fresh flavor on top.
• Squeeze in a bit of fresh lemon juice right at the end to brighten the soup up slightly.
• You can add in any mix of vegetables you like during the last 30 minutes of cook time. If you are adding potatoes, I would add them about 15-20 minutes or so before being done. You want the potatoes to hold their shape and not become mush.
• You can substitute the egg noodles for 1/2 cup of orzo or 1/3 cup or so of rice. I always have jasmine rice or brown rice on hand so that is what I would add but use what you have on hand. Adjust the cooking time for orzo or rice. Rice takes a bit longer to cook than orzo. Orzo I would let cook for about 10 minutes and the rice takes about 15-20 minutes or so to cook. Adjust accordingly.
• If you want no pasta or rice, simply leave it out.
• You can certainly add more pepperoncini peppers if you prefer.
• I recommend not adding in extra salt. The au jus, brown gravy, and ranch powder have a good amount of salt in them. I always wait until the end of cooking and adjust the seasoning. If you want more salt then add it.