Chicken Noodle Soup

{photos updated 6/4/2013}

I think I heard once that chicken noodle soup has actual healing powers.  Or maybe I just made that up, I'm really not sure.  But sometimes I just get this idea in my head that I need some.

Like on days when I don't feel great...

Or when the weather is getting cold...

Or if I realize I have all the ingredients for it.

It doesn't require a lot of ingredients and it is a hit with the whole family, which is hard to pull off around here.  

I like to have my carrots and celery chopped pretty fine so I use the food processor but it's not necessary, if you like bigger chunks, keep them bigger.

For us, this soup is all about the noodles, but if you don't want to make them yourself, you can substitute something else.  Maybe some frozen fresh noodles?

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 T oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

3 stalks celery (leaves are ok), chopped

10 cups water

10 cubes chicken bullion (you can substitute stock for the water and bullion)

6 chicken tenders (it's okay if they are still frozen)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp marjoram (optional)

1 recipe homemade pasta (I usually only use about 3/4 of the recipe and freeze the rest.  I have made the soup before using all the pasta and it turns more in to noodles with chicken and no soup. :))

Directions:

Heat oil, add onion and cook 5 minutes, add carrots and celery and cook until vegetables are tender.  Add water, bullion, chicken tenders and seasoning.  If I am using bullion, I don't use any salt, just pepper and the marjoram.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.  I usually roll out my dough and cut it while the soup is simmering. I separate the dough into 4 balls and roll 1 ball out and cut it.  Make sure to cover the dough you aren't using.  After and hour, remove chicken and shred or cut into chunks, return to soup and bring to boil.  Add pasta by the handful stirring after each addition so it doesn't stick together.  Cook 1-2 minutes and serve.  

Great served with bread.