Better than your moms Chicken Noodle Soup!

Ahh, really what is better than a warming bowl of chicken noodle soup. It warms you from the inside out and delights every bit of you! Served when your sick, on a nice fall day as the leaves turn or today when this snow hasn't stopped falling since the night before!

I love chicken noodle soup. It is budget friendly, healthy and so delicious! ok, ok here is my recipe!

Chicken Noodle Soup

prep- 2.5 hours includes making stock
cook- 25 minutes
serves- A lot!

Stock w/ chicken (recipe below!)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Carrots, sliced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
Chicken broth, optional
Egg noodles or any other fun pasta shape you have in your pantry
Dried basil
2 bays leaves


Stock:
Carcass of your roasted chicken
Vegetable peels - carrots, onions, garlic (I keep a bag in the freezer full of peels from previous meals- makes making stock easy!)

Place your carcass and all the pan drippings in your stock pot. Add vegetable peels to this and a bay leaf. I would also add about 1/2-1 tablespoon of salt.
Cover with water and bring to a boil. I let this simmer for a few hours on my stove. I love how it makes the entire house smell yummy! You can cook over medium-high for about 45 minutes to an hour if you don't have time. But for this I would recommend making the time. So good.

After a few hours you should have this dark broth in your pot. Ok get out a very large bowl and your strainer. Strain you broth, throwing out the vegetables but NOT the carcass, just yet!
Cooking it slow and low see how the meat is falling off the bones. I am not one to like dark meat, picking bones etc but for this soup I would do it anytime!
I pick through the carcass getting all of the meat off of the bones and adding it directly back into my broth. I normally can get a good amount of chicken from the carcass.

Ok leave that in your bowl.
Put your stock pot back on your stove, I don't even rinse it.
Add about 2 tbs olive oil to your pot and turn heat on medium. When that is hot go ahead and add your onion. Saute for a few minutes then add your garlic. Add a heaping teaspoon of salt to this now and listen to it sizzle!
Next add your carrots and celery cooking for about 5 to 8 minutes.
Once everything looks nice and sauteed, onions are translucent go ahead an add your broth with the chicken. Add your bay leaves.
Now, you can leave this as is and save for another day or keep it cooking for dinner that night!
If you are planning on eating go ahead and bring to a boil- taste it, see if it needs more salt. Sometimes if the broth doesn't taste "chickeny" enough I will add a cup or two of chicken broth.
Once it is boiling go ahead and add your pasta- about half a bag.
Once your pasta is done EAT IT!

Serve in nice big bowls making sure to get all the veggies, chicken and noodles!