Pasta and chicken makes the perfect combination for this Butternut Squash-Apricot Chicken Noodle Curry posted by Country Living. Pretty soon it will be warm enough for soup, but until then, this pasta dish will work wonderfully. Creamy and filling, this dish will for sure be a crowd pleaser. The presentation will look like it took hours to prepare, when in fact, it will only take about an hour to make. Carbs and protein make a pretty balanced meal.

Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Curry

• 1 ½ skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped up
• 1; 8-ounce package of rice noodles
• 1; 15-ounce can of chickpeas
• 1; 16 ounce package of butternut squash, cubbed
• 3 garlic cloves that are sliced
• 3 scallions that are sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped up
• 8 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of canned coconut milk
• ½ cup of dried apricots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 2 teaspoons of curry powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of fresh lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Fresh cilantro, this will be for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt

To begin the chicken noodle curry you’ll need a dutch oven or large part to start.

The first step is to cook the noodles. Make sure to follow the packaging directions because this is the base of the recipe and the noodles need to be cooked perfectly. Double check that you are buying rice noodles. The next step is to season the chicken. Take the freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt, seasoning the chicken on both sides.

Place the Dutch oven or large pot on the burner with the heat on medium-high. Heat the oil in the pan and add the chicken. Once the chicken is added to the pot/oven add the onion and garlic. This will need to be cooked for about 7 to 9 minutes, making sure to stir it occasionally . Once it is browned add the chili powder, cinnamon and curry powder. This will need to be stirred constantly for about 1 minute.

After stirring, add the chickpeas, apricots, and chicken stock. This needs to be brought to a boil. Once the stock begins to boil, reduce the heat. It needs to be set on low to allow the ingredients to simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Stir the ingredients occasionally. Once the 20 minutes is up add the butternut squash. Cook for about 8 to10 minutes. This is to allow the soup to thicken and allow the butternut squash time to soften up.

After the 8-10 minutes, add the coconut milk into the soup, Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, remove the pot or oven from the heat. Once you place the pot/oven down, add the lime juice and scallions. Stir during this process so everything mixes equally. Season the soup with more freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt.

Take the noodles that were cooked earlier and serve them in bowls. Pour the soup over the rice noodles. The last step is the use the cilantro to garnish the pasta.

This recipe serves about 8 people.

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