Freeze-Dried Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Homemade chicken noodle soup is good for the soul. But it does take some preparation, meaning, that thawing and cooking the chicken before you make the soup can seem like an arduous task, especially if you are in a time crunch. That’s why we love using freeze-dried chicken in this classic chicken noodle soup recipe. You get to skip the part where you cook the chicken and get straight to the good stuff. For those of you who are still skeptical about using freeze-dried chicken in traditional dishes, Hibernate is here to help. Hibernate’s Freeze-dried chicken is a versatile, healthy alternative to fresh chicken and can be easily substituted in a variety of dishes that call for cooked chicken.
Easy Freeze-Dried Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
This is not your grandma’s chicken noodle soup–made from homemade chicken stock that’s simmered for hours on the stove, but it might taste just as good in only a fraction of the time. Once you try using freeze-dried chicken in traditional dishes, you may never go back to the painstaking prep routine of thawing and cooking chicken.
Also, bear in mind that freeze-dried vegetables are great substitutes in any recipe that calls for fresh vegetables. Just think of it as one less thing to prep. No need to rehydrate the chicken for this recipe. Just toss the freeze-dried chicken in with the chicken broth, and it will rehydrate while also absorbing the savory broth flavor.
Freeze-Dried Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups freeze-dried chicken
- 2 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
(Adapted from damndeclicious.net)
Freeze-Dried Chicken Noodle Soup Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in chicken stock and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add freeze-dried chicken and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Stir in pasta and cook until tender, about 6-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in parsley, dill, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
What You Need To Know About Freeze-Dried Chicken
Freeze-dried chicken is just as healthy and nutritious as fresh chicken. The freeze-drying process removes the water content from the chicken without compromising its cellular structure or nutritional value. Unlike dehydrated meat, which creates chewy meat called “jerky” that will never resemble the taste or texture of cooked meat, freeze-dried meat will always rehydrate back to its original texture and flavor. Even if it has sat on your shelf for a decade, or more!
When compared to dehydrated or canned meat, freeze-dried chicken retains almost 98% of its nutritional value. Dehydrated chicken retains just 60% of its nutritional value, while canned chicken retains only 40%. In addition, freeze-dried chicken has an incredible shelf life. If stored properly in a cool, dry place, freeze-dried chicken can last up to 15 years. Dehydrated and canned chicken pale in comparison, with dehydrated chicken lasting only four years on the shelf and canned chicken lasting only three years.
Hibernates freeze-dried chicken contains white chicken meat, giving you up to 25 grams of protein per ½ cooked cup of chicken. Our chicken is cooked before it is freeze-dried, adding to its wide appeal as a food storage and pantry staple.
Once freeze-dried chicken is rehydrated, it can last up to two days in the refrigerator. To rehydrate freeze-dried chicken, cover the chicken with boiling water (using a 1:1 ration of water to chicken) and let stand for five minutes. You can use any temperature of water, but hot or boiling water will rehydrate your meat quicker than room temperature or cold water. Don’t worry about over-hydrating the chicken. Freeze-dried chicken will only absorb the same amount of liquid that it originally contained, and no more. Rehydrated freeze-dried chicken will never become soggy or bloated. Once chicken is rehydrated, drain the water, pat dry, and use as your recipe directs.
Common Myths About Freeze-Dried Chicken
You may have read or heard about some of the more common freeze-dried chicken myths. Read on for a quick fact check!
It doesn’t taste the same.
Despite what you may fear, freeze-dried chicken taste virtually the same as cooked, fresh chicken. Because freeze-dried chicken retains almost 98% of its nutritional value, you never sacrifice on taste.
The texture is off.
Because the freeze-drying process does not damage the chicken’s cellular structure, when freeze-dried chicken is rehydrated, it retains the same texture as fresh, cooked chicken.
It’s not as nutritious.
This bears repeating: freeze-dried food retains up to 98% of its nutritional value! Plus, the freeze-drying process does not add preservatives to achieve that 15 year shelf life. When you eat freeze-dried chicken, you are eating just chicken. Nothing more, nothing less.
It’s not good for humans.
It’s not uncommon to hear that freeze-dried chicken is often used in pet food. But it’s also fit for human consumption, too. When it comes to freeze-dried chicken, it’s not mutually exclusive.
Recipes will not turn out the same.
Substituting freeze-dried meat or vegetables into recipes actually gives you more control over the outcome, and less time spent in the kitchen. There is virtually no downside to baking or cooking with freeze-dried chicken, vegetables, or fruit.
Basically, freeze-drying is like suspending the meat in time. Like a snapshot, it is frozen in time the day it is freeze-dried; however, it still retains its flavor, texture, and nutrition.
Can You Use Freeze-Dried Chicken For Regular Chicken?
By this point, you should know the answer to this question. The answer is a resounding yes! When substituting freeze-dried chicken into any recipe, the ratio is completely the same. If it calls for a ½ cup of chicken, that’s exactly what you will use. All you need to account for is a little water to rehydrate it. You can rehydrate the chicken before you start the recipe or during the recipe, if, for example, you are making soup or using any recipe that has a water base.
Hibernate’s Freeze-Dried chicken is perfect for enchiladas, soup, or curries. Or throw it into a salad or use it to make BBQ chicken pizza. Just remember that freeze-dried chicken is not seasoned. It will pick up the flavor of the rehydrating liquid. If using it to toss into a salad, make sure you season it first by tossing it with a bit of salad dressing. Give it a taste test, and try it on your family tonight. We promise you won’t even notice the difference!
Hibernate’s Freeze-Dried Chicken
Hibernate knows that freeze-dried chicken is a powerful player in any well-stocked kitchen. Freeze-dried chicken is a healthy alternative when trying to rotate through food storage or if meat is too costly or too timely to prep. Give Hibernate’s Freeze-Dried Chicken a try today, and you will wonder how you ever lived without it!