Pepperoncini Chicken Noodle Soup | Gimme Some Oven

Easy45 minsQuick

This Pepperoncini Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is super-easy to make and kicked up a delicious notch with mild pepperoncini peppers.  So good!

New favorite thing alert!

This past week, while making yet another batch of chicken noodle soup to fight this never ending cold of mine, I randomly decided to chop up some pepperoncini peppers to toss into the broth.  You know — those yummy yellow-green mild pickled peppers that are often found in Greek salads or (ahem) a popular pizza company’s delivery boxes?  Yep, those little guys.  They were a quick little last-minute addition.  But I figured that their extra heat might help to clear my head out a bit, and who knows, maybe add some extra flavor in the process.

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Now?  Totally obsessed.

You guys, I seriously could not get enough of this soup!  It was nothing fancy — just a basic, no-frills, easy chicken noodle soup recipe with some pepperoncini peppers added in.  But something about the subtle extra tang and kick that the peppers added was just magic.  It felt like the pepperoncini finally rounded out all of the flavors in this soup that I’ve loved my entire life.  And now, I can’t quite imagine chicken soup without them.  I have a hunch you’re going to be big fans too.

So if you also happen to be feeling under the weather and are craving a cozy bowl of soup this week, or hey, if you just happen to love chicken noodle soup as much as I do and are up for a new variation, grab a jar of peppers the next time you’re at the store and let’s make a batch!

What Are Pepperoncini Peppers?

First, though, the question many of you asked me on Instagram — just what are pepperoncini peppers?

Well, the word pepperoncini technically refers in general to all kinds of hot chili peppers Italian.  But in the States, the name (also spelled peperoncini) is most commonly associated with the golden, mild, small, fruity, yellow-green pickled peppers that are shown above.  They are grown in both Italy and Greece and are usually imported, pickled and sold in jars — either whole or thinly sliced.  Depending on the specific variety, they can either be wider or more narrow.  Most often you will find them served with pizza, subs, salads, and antipasto platters.  And they are delicious.

In terms of spiciness, they are generally pretty mild.  But their heat levels can vary a bit from brand to brand, so I recommend starting with a small amount and then you can always add more.

Pepperoncini peppers are typically found in either the canned vegetables, salad dressing, or produce section of your regular grocery store.  Or you can also order them on Amazon (although they’re quite a bit pricier online).

Pepperoncini Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients:

Alright, so let’s talk about the rest of the ingredients here.  To make this Pepperoncini Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, you will need:

• Veggies: I kept this soup simple with just onion, carrots, celery and garlic.  But of course, feel free to add in extra veggies if you’d like.
• Chicken stock: For the foundation of our broth.
• Chicken: Any kind of cooked and shredded/diced chicken will do.
• Pepperoncini peppers: You can either buy them whole or sliced, but we will want to have them sliced/diced for the soup.  Feel free to also add in some of the extra pepperoncini juice from the jar for extra flavor too.
• Bay leaf, salt and black pepper: For seasoning.
• Pasta: 4 ounces of any shape/type of (uncooked) pasta that you prefer.
• Optional toppings: Chopped fresh basil, parsley or chives.

How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup:

To make this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe, simply:

1. Sauté your veggies.  Cook the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil until softened.
2. Add the stock, chicken, pepperoncini and bay leaf.  Stir to combine and then continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.
3. Add the pasta.  Reduce heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer.  Then stir in the pasta and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
4. Season.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.  Remove the bay leaf.
5. Serve.  Then ladle up the soup and serve while it’s nice and warm, garnished with any desired toppings.

Just as a heads-up, the pasta will continue to soak up more broth the longer it sits in the stockpot.  So I recommend serving it as soon as possible after the pasta reaches al dente.  Or of course, if the pasta ends up soaking up more broth than you would like, just add in some more chicken stock.

Possible Variations:

There are all sorts of ways that you can change things up with this soup.  For example, feel free to:

• Make it gluten-free: Just use any kind of gluten-free pasta that you prefer.  Or you are also welcome to sub in rice or quinoa instead of pasta.
• Make it vegetarian/vegan: Use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.  Then feel free to substitute chickpeas or firm tofu in place of the chicken.
• Use zoodles: If you would like to add even more extra veggies, feel free to use zucchini noodles in place of pasta.

What To Serve With This Soup:

Looking for some tasty side dishes?  I would totally recommend:

Enjoy, everyone!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Pepperoncini Chicken Noodle Soup

This Pepperoncini Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is super-easy to make and kicked up a delicious notch with mild pepperoncini peppers.

Total Time:45 mins

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini peppers*, or more/less to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 ounces uncooked pasta (I used ditalini)
• sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• optional: chopped fresh chives, basil and/or parsley

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add carrots, celery and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add chicken stock, shredded chicken, pepperoncini peppers, bay leaf, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium to maintain a stead simmer, and stir in the pasta.  Continue cooking until the pasta reaches al dente.
3. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and/or extra pepperoncini peppers as needed.  Remove and discard the bay leaf.
4. Serve soup warm, garnished with any desired toppings.  Or let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

*As always with spicier peppers, I recommend adding a bit less to start.  And then you can always add more later if you would like.  Feel free to also add in a tablespoon or two of the pepperoncini juice for extra flavor too!

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Quick

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