.chicken noodle soup.

once upon a time, i was younger. wait, that's your story too? cool. back in those days, i would occasionally come down with a cold. not unique to me either? that's fine.

whenever i did get sick, my mom would prepare for me a magic elixir. chicken noodle soup. you too?! ok, this is getting creepy.

although my husband wasn't sick, the weather outside had a cold..the kind of cold that whipped through our open windows and begged for a warm soup. for this cold, i set out to make my eye guy my first homemade chicken noodle soup.

i knew i wouldn't be having any of the actual chicken soup my self, but it didn't mean i couldn't enjoy some homemade noodles and veggies with veggie broth.

the recipe doesn't call for making the noodles from scratch, but i was in an overly productive mood and couldn't resist trying this out. while the dough rested, i got to work on the chicken broth and chicken.

as a non-meat eater, this was by far my least favorite part of the process. ah, the things you do for love.

getting the carrots and celery washed, prepared and diced was no problem. the vibrant colors work miracles for a drabby disposition. i highly recommend eating something colorful if you're ever down in the dumps, have a cold or even if your outside weather has a cold like ours.

if i hadn't read to do so in the recipe, i would never have left the leafy parts on the celery, but am so glad i did. it intensified the flavor and added a rustic look to the soup.

after my pasta waited patiently for me, it was time to roll it out and cut it into noodles with my big pizza cutter. this was a little tedious and many of the noodles stuck together. if i were to do this all over again, i would make sure i had plenty of time and patience at the ready. it would probably be best if i had rolled the dough out a wee flatter, but they still tasted so comforting and good.

with all the components swimming together in the pot, i could barely wait for my eye guy to get home so i could surprise him with the soup.

it smelled so fresh with a softness to it that can only come from comfort food.with a little side of cheese toast like my mom used to make, the chicken noodle soup for him and chickenless noodle soup for me made for a tasty meal.

chicken noodle soup
from the pioneer woman
ingredients
1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
2 whole Carrots, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced (optional)
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon White Pepper (more To Taste)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
2 teaspoons Parsley Flakes
16 ounces, weight Frozen "homemade" Egg Noodles
3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

directions
Cover chicken in 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon. With two forks, remove as much meat from the bones as you can, slightly shredding meat in the process. Return bones to broth and simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove bones from broth with a slotted spoon, making sure to get any small bones that might have detached.

Add the carrots and celery (and onions, if using) to the pot, followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for ten minutes to meld flavors.

Increase heat and add frozen egg noodles and chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit. Test and adjust seasonings as needed.