Good Ol' Chicken Noodle Soup

Few things in life make us feel as good as a steaming hot bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup.  When the weather gets a little cooler and we begin to crave warm, comforting foods, chicken soup is a classic and often requested meal at our house.

My son is a soup lover, and his input about this soup has turned an already great soup into a fantastic family favorite.  He loves the flavor of rosemary, so we've added it.  He is also responsible for adding peas to the traditional carrot/celery/onion veggie combination; the mildly sweet pop of the peas adds such a nice contrast to all the other rustic flavors already present in the soup.

Using a homemade chicken stock creates a depth of flavor with which a store-bought broth cannot possibly compete.  Also, by making your own stock, you will have all that lovely, already seasoned chicken meat to add to this soup.  Really, what makes us feel so good when we eat chicken noodle soup isn't so much the meager ingredients, it's the long simmered, nutrient rich, full flavor of the broth.

Good Ol' Chicken Noodle Soup
serves 6

• 2 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• 1/2 c chopped carrots
• 1/2 c chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1/2 c frozen peas
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 c cooked chicken
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage (or about 1/2 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram (or about 1/2 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or about 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 - 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (or about 1/2 tsp, dried and crushed)
• at least 1 tsp sea salt (taste to see if you prefer more)
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 c uncooked egg noodles
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients except egg noodles and parsley in a large soup pot.  

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender. 

Add the uncooked egg noddles.  Bring the soup back to a low boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for about 6 minutes, or until noodles are tender.  Stir in parsley.