Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

A great way to get the most out of your ingredients is to keep leftovers in mind. I love roasting chickens because I know I can use some of the meat that night, whether it's the drumsticks or the breasts, and the leftovers can be used the rest of the week in a variety of dishes. I use the meat in sandwiches, burritos, pastas, salads... the list is endless! Once I'm getting tired of chicken (usually around day 3 because I use it in my breakfast burritos, my lunches, and my dinners!), I make soup with the remaining meat. The bones from the chicken are also great for making soup, as they lend amazing flavor and nutrients. Chicken noodle is a simple soup that can use up any leftover chicken and veggies in your refrigerator, and it's a filling and relatively low-calorie meal to boot!

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken carcass (I like to keep everything, but you can also just use the bones from drumsticks, wings, etc. if you don't want to bother storing the whole cavity until it's soup-making time)
• Left over chicken, cut up into small chunks
• 5carrots
• 8 stalks of celery
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 bay leaf
• Dried seasonings: oregano, cumin, thyme, rosemary, pepper/salt
• 3 cups boiled noodles, al dente

Directions:

1. Chop 2 carrots and 3 stalks of celery into 3" long pieces, the cut the onion in half. Store the remaining vegetables.
2. Turn the slow-cooker to high, add in the chicken bones, the bay leaf, and the prepared vegetables. Pour in 8 cups of water and cook for 8 hours (tip: do this before bed and cook until morning). 
3. Strain the broth over a large bowl, discarding the cooked vegetables. Dice the reserved carrots, celery, and onion and add them to the slow cooker. Add 6 cups of broth back to the slow cooker along with the pieces of chicken. Add seasonings to taste (go lightly and season again at the end of cooking), then cook the soup for 8-10 hours on low. 1 hour before serving, add the cooked noodles. 

Enjoy!

You can also make this soup in a stock pot, cooking low and slow. I just prefer my crockpot because I can set it and forget it!