Name: Bread Bowl Chicken Noodle Soup
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 mini loaves bread bowl; 250 grams egg noodles; 12 oz chicken breasts; 1 carrot; 2 stalks celery; 1/2 cup onion; 2 cloves garlic; 2 bay leaf; 1/4 cup cooking wine(sherry); 8 cups chicken broth; 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp flour

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Bread Bowl Chicken Noodle Soup is the world's coziest meal for a cold winter's day. Packed with chicken, vegetables and a delicious broth in a crusty bread bowl.

Fall is in the air. This week, for the first time in about 4 months, I was actually able to open the windows in Hong Kong and not sweat to death. Fall is soup season and it reminds us of trips to Panera Bread in the USA. Our Bread Bowl Chicken Noodle Soup.

Oh how I crave; the quiet sounds of the secluded forest back at home, the view of the autumn color changes on the trees, fresh autumn scent in the air and listening to the fallen leaves crunch under your footsteps. Back in the "World", Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Here in Hong Kong, life finally becomes just more tolerable when things start to cool off.

In order to capture the essence of autumn, my son has requested one of his favorite comfort dishes, bread bowl chicken noodle soup. Have you ever visited to a Panera Bread Restaurant and enjoyed one of their bread bowl soups while sitting by the fireplace? If you were cold and hungry upon entry to the restaurant, you will be warm, cozy and satiated by the time you leave. Bread Bowl Chicken Noodle Soups are a creative way to eat your soup and dunk your bread at the same time.

Why you are going to love Bread Bowl Chicken Noodle Soup

Mess clean up is low as there are no bowls to clean. In addition, I think this would be a great weekday dish to have simmering in a crock pot all day. Then, at the last-minute do a quick thickening of the soup with your roux, carve out the bread bowls, and your dinner is on the table in a flash. Here is my version of this yummy comforting favorite.

Bread Bowl Chicken Noodle Soup (serves 4 adults or 2 hungry teenagers)

4 Mini-white (about 5 inch) crusty round bread loaves (A loaf that is crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside and shaped like a bowl-sour dough or italian bread roll)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 stocks celery chopped
1 large carrot chopped
2 garlic gloves finely chopped
12 ounces boneless skin less chicken breast chopped bite size pieces
¼ cup white cooking wine or sherry
800 ml (8 cups) chicken broth
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup margarine/butter
½ cup flour
250 grams (½ pound) fresh fettuccine egg noodles (or dried)

Step 1. In a large pot place olive oil, chopped onion, chopped carrot and garlic and saute until aromatic and translucent.

Step 2. Add chopped chicken and cook about 2-3 minutes and add cooking wine.

Step 3. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, basil and salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for about ½ hour

Step 4. In a separate small pot place equal parts butter and flour to make a roux. Melt butter and then add flour and cook until light golden in color over low heat stir continuously.

Step 5. Add one ladle full of chicken broth from soup and add a little at a time into the roux mixture, gently while stirring.

Step 6. Remove bay leaves from soup and discard.

Step 7. Turn up heat on burner to medium high and add fresh fettuccine egg noodles and cook for about 6 - 8 minutes until noodles are al dente.

Step 8. Add roux mixture to soup a little bit at a time until thickened to your liking and turn your soup to a simmer or off until ready to serve. Check seasoning and adjust as needed.

Step 9: Cut off top of bread bowl with a serrated knife. Use your hands and remove inner part of bread leaving about a one inch thick crust on bottoms and sides of bread bowl.