Half Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Last week, I was craving a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup, but I was also craving a fast, easy dinner, so I decided to meet my soup halfway with boxed stock and a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Chicken noodle sacrilege? Maybe, but it was so tasty, I didn't care. Perhaps on some snowy Saturday afternoon, I'll boil down some chicken bones, but for a quick, comforting weeknight meal, this worked wonderfully.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock (Look for stock not broth. I used a brand called Medford Farms that was great, and people seem to like Kitchen Basics too.)
12 oz. ounces dried wide egg noodles (I actually used a 15 oz. bag because who has ever complained about too many noodles.)
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded, about 2 cups of chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Turn the heat to low, fold in the shredded chicken and continue to simmer for another few minutes to heat through. Season with salt and pepper and remove bay leaves and thyme. Makes 2 quarts of soup. I put my leftovers in the freezer for an even easier weeknight meal.