Southwestern Chicken Noodle Soup

Southwestern Chicken Noodle Soup - ButterYum

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays - I certainly did.  I've been cooking up a storm so stay tuned for lots of yummy posts.  Let's start with Tina's Crazy Cooking Challenge.  This month's challenge - Chicken Noodle Soup.   I make my own chicken noodle soup often, so it felt a bit odd searching the internet for someone else's recipe to make, but I knew I found the one I wanted to try when I stumbled upon a blog called My Big Fat Geek Recipes. The Southwestern Chicken Noodle Soup sounded so good.  Let me say this, it did not disappoint - very, very tasty.  I'll definitely be making this one again.



This soup is made in a slow cooker, but it can easily be made on the stove top if time is limited.  To further reduce cooking time, serve with tortilla chips or corn chips instead of taking the time to cook pasta.  And feel free to use leftover cooked chicken if you have it (hint - or pick up a rotisserie chicken).  Add the cooked chicken to the soup just before serving; long enough to heat it through. Also consider changing the veggies to suit your family, and/or add beans, cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.  


Southwestern Chicken Noodle Soup
makes 10-12 servings

1-5 boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
3 large carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen green beans
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (no need to drain the juice)
8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Southwestern Seasoning Blend (see my note below)
2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend (see my note below)
Cooked noodles, reserved

Place all the ingredients except the pasta in a slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours.  Add cooked pasta to bowls just before serving.

My Notes - I at least doubled the veggies.  Also, I initially was tempted to use homemade chicken stock instead of water, fearing the finished soup wouldn't have enough flavor, but the seasoning blends, onions, and garlic provide plenty of flavor.  Lastly, I didn't have either of the Mrs. Dash seasoning blends the recipe called for, but I did have Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime and Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle so I used 1 1/2 tablespoons of each.

This recipe is being shared at Shannon's Your Cozy Home linky party.