Ingredients
Roasted Garlic
- 4 whole heads of garlic
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (for roasting garlic)
Vegetables & Herbs
- 16 ounces crimini or white button mushrooms (stems diced, caps sliced)
- 1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup chives, minced
- 1/4 cup green onions (white and light green parts only), sliced thin
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Soup Base
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and ground black pepper (to taste, approximately 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper during cooking, plus additional for sautéed mushrooms)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup lemon juice (to taste)
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 8 cups chicken broth (homemade or good quality prepared)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8-ounce wedge Parmesan cheese with rind (for soup and for grating)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Noodles & Protein
- 10 ounces udon, vermicelli, linguine, or fettuccine noodles (dried or homemade fresh pasta)
- 1 small fully cooked Roast Chicken or Rotisserie Chicken, meat removed from bone and shredded
Instructions
- Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and discard the papery outer layers of the whole garlic heads, leaving bulbs intact. Cut off 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the tops to expose cloves. Place cut-side up on aluminum foil, drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, wrap tightly, and roast 30-40 minutes until very soft. Let cool, then set aside.
- Prepare mushrooms: Gently clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Separate stems from caps. Dice stems and slice caps approximately 1/4-inch thick.
- Sauté aromatics and mushroom stems: Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced mushroom stems, chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Season with about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add seasonings and simmer broth: Stir in anchovy fillets and dried thyme, breaking up anchovies. Cook 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and soy sauce, add Parmesan rind, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
- Sauté mushroom caps: While broth simmers, heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium. Add sliced mushrooms, season with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup lemon juice. Set aside.
- Strain broth: Pour broth through a colander into a bowl, pressing vegetables to extract liquid. Discard solids and Parmesan rind. Return strained broth to the saucepan.
- Combine soup and cook noodles: Heat broth over medium-high. Add chives, green onions, parsley, heavy cream, sautéed mushrooms, and squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves from their skins. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender, following package directions or approximately 2 minutes for fresh pasta.
- Finish soup: Remove from heat and stir in shredded chicken. Adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.
- Serve: Grate additional Parmesan cheese over individual bowls and serve immediately for a rich, creamy, and savory chicken noodle soup experience.
Notes
- Roasting the garlic mellows and sweetens its flavor, adding depth to the soup.
- Anchovy fillets add umami but will not make the soup taste fishy; they break down during cooking.
- You can use any type of noodles; adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Leftover rotisserie chicken works great to save time.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half or milk for heavy cream but expect less richness.
- Add more lemon juice at the end for brightness to balance creaminess.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
