The Soundtrack to Eating: Chicken Noodle Soul
Fall doesn’t just mean pumpkin spice and sweaters — it’s also the best time to enjoy a bowl of delicious and comforting soup, paired with a slow and soulful playlist to keep you warm on a night in.
The Soundtrack to Eating is a series in which staff writers write about how food and music are intertwined.
Written by John Melendez
Illustrated by Paige Giordano and Suzy Devane
As the end of the year rolls around and brings with it less daylight, more clouds, and lower temperatures, most people need something to liven their spirits. While the leaves change color and the autumn breeze settles in, it’s easy to feel homesick or want to stay under your blankets for the rest of the year. If you’re feeling that way, it’s important to take advantage of a couple of things that keep your soul nice and warm on any day: food and music.
There are few foods better for the soul than classic chicken noodle soup. Pair that with a playlist of slow-burning, soulful tracks that pierce straight through to your heart, and you’ve got yourself a delightful night in. It can get even more interesting if you decide to make the soup the subject of your affection as you jam to an emotional ballad.
This chicken noodle soup recipe is simple and delicious. It requires only ten ingredients and even though it’s not made entirely from scratch, it will still taste homemade. To begin, gather your ingredients:
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
4-5 stalks of chopped celery
4-5 chopped carrots
1 chopped medium yellow onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
10 cups chicken broth or stock
10 sprigs fresh thyme
2 finely chopped chicken breasts
8 oz pappardelle egg noodles (or desired noodle)
Before any actual cooking starts, it’s important to get all the prep work done. Start by chopping your celery, carrots, onions and chicken breasts (seasoned with some salt and pepper) so that it all comes together easily when it’s time to make the soup. If you don’t have the knife skills of a master chef, this might be the longest part. But that doesn’t matter — get lost in some silky smooth tracks like JMSN’s “Talk Is Cheap” and Masego’s “Tadow.” This soulful playlist starts off with four songs meant to set the mood and keep you relaxed while you prep. Enjoy this mix of easy-listening and atmospheric sounds with a couple hints of jazz and funk.
Once everything is ready to go, add olive oil, your vegetables, and salt and pepper to a large pot. Cook them for 10 minutes until the veggies have softened. It doesn’t take long before everything comes together. As things start to heat up in the kitchen, you might also feel some heat from Daniel Caesar’s “Get You (feat. Kali Uchis)” and Elle Varner’s “Coffee On The Roof” as their burning, sensual passion echoes through your kitchen. Maybe it’s the sizzling onions that have you feeling some type of way, but it’s probably lines from Varner like, “You were supposed to call me back long / Before you showed up at the party / Did not plan on seeing you there / So I acted like I don't care.”
Next you’ll add your chicken broth and fresh thyme into the pot. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
The two most important ingredients in this recipe are the chicken broth and fresh thyme. Because this soup isn’t from scratch, the broth you buy needs to be high quality to ensure the best taste. Some options are Trader Joe’s or Swanson brand low-sodium chicken broth. The fresh herbs are what brings this soup to life and gives it that homemade flavor and aroma. Just like the recipe is elevated by good quality ingredients, this playlist includes a dash of Marvin Gaye to get to those hard-to-reach places deep within the recesses of your heart. “If I Should Die Tonight,” let it be from transcending into a higher plane of existence.
As your broth is boiling and simmering, prepare your noodles. If you plan to have leftovers or if you aren’t going to eat right away, it’s probably worth it to keep the noodles separate from the soup and just combine when serving so they don’t absorb too much broth.
This is it. The finish line is in sight and your broth smells amazing. As it all comes to a head, you’ve also reached the peak of the playlist. Those songs that make you feel the emotion from your head to your toes, featuring the talents of Alicia Keys and Sam Smith, bring us home.
Once the soup has simmered, add the chicken and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until the chicken has fully cooked through. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve by placing a handful of noodles in your bowl and pouring the broth over it. As the delicious broth begins to soak your noodles and steam from your bowl, Eryn Allen Kane concludes the playlist with the beautiful and intense “Have Mercy.”
Chicken noodle soup is a classic fall dish to make on days when you need a pick-me-up. Hopefully you feel rejuvenated. Let the soup and music fill you up.