The Unconventional Noodle In Ina Garten's Chicken Soup

If the weather is cold, you're just feeling under the weather, or you're simply in need of some comfort, there's nothing more soothing than a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup. According to EatingWell, chicken noodle soup has a wealth of health benefits and is also a mood booster. If you're sick, it can help amp up your immunity and break up any congestion. It can also reduce inflammation and is rich in nutrients. Yahoo! News points out that chicken noodle soup also has emotional benefits as it's nostalgic for most.

When it comes to making chicken noodle soup, one cannot overlook the important supporting role that the noodles play. So which noodle type is best? Taste of Home recommends using egg noodles in their recipe and this might be the most common noodle you'd find in a classic chicken noodle soup recipe. But with that said, celebrity chef and overall goddess of the kitchen, Ina Garten, prefers to use a less commonly utilized noodle that gives her recipe a doubly comforting effect.

According to a post on her Instagram page, Ina Garten likes to use ramen noodles in her chicken ramen-noodle soup recipe, as well as scallions, ginger, bok choy, and a dash of soy sauce to give her chicken noodle soup a flavor profile that more closely resembles a traditional ramen dish.

Traditional Tonkatsu ramen recipes begin with a slow cooked broth that cooks for four hours (per Serious Eats,) so if you don't have the time or expertise to begin a recipe there, Garten's recipe is fun hybrid dish that can offer the comforts of both ramen and also homestyle chicken noodle soup in a shorter amount of time. 

While it might be common to expect a flat noodle or egg noodle in a chicken soup recipe, Garten's recipe highlights how easy it is to be playful when cooking, and how experimenting with different flavors, traditions, and textures can yield some really wonderful and delicious results.