Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul

Funk. I recently got caught in one. It lasted only a few days, but that was a few days longer than normal. Usually my funks go out as quickly as they come in. But this one had a hold on me and I couldn't shake it. I think we all go through these moments in our life where we are down, frustrated, irritable or sad. Regardless of how long your funk lasts or the reason for it, I think the best thing to do is acknowledge it and just let it be. Try getting some fresh air, exercising, eating healthy, but most of all go easy on yourself. You are normal. Funks happen. "This too shall pass."

It just so happened this recent funk of mine ended when I made my first ever homemade chicken soup. Coincidence? I think not.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Makes about 7-8 servings
6 cups chicken broth *
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz button mushrooms, diced
1-2 cups carrots, chopped
1-2 cups celery, chopped
1 tsp salt and more to taste**
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1.5 pounds chicken breast, cubed
2-3 cups small pasta
1.5-2 cups water




Add 2 tbsp butter to a soup pot on medium heat and saute onion for about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant then add carrots and celery and saute for a few minutes. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper and thyme and saute for a few minutes. Add two cups of broth at a time to the pot and let it come to a simmer before you add the additional cups of broth. Once all broth is added, let simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes. Taste the broth and add another teaspoon of salt if needed. Add chicken and let it simmer for about five minutes or until cooked thouroughly. Bring soup to a low boil and add pasta until cooked al dente.  If your pasta expands and you need more broth add water and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and salt again if necessary. Turn off heat and serve.

*The secret to my chicken soup was the broth. My dad grilled a whole chicken the weekend before and I used the carcass (what a gross word) to make the broth. You can use a grilled or roasted chicken or even a rotissere chicken from the grocery. Once you remove the chicken from the bones, (we had already eaten the chicken but you could reserve it to add to the soup) place the carcass in a pot, cover with water and let it boil for an hour.  Remove from heat and strain through a colander. Discard bones and use broth for soup. I will never ever ever discard of the carcass again! This broth was amazing!

**Salting a soup is tricky. An under salted soup is fixable ; an over salted soup is a disaster. I started with 1 teaspoon of salt while sauteing the veggies, added a second teaspoon once all the broth was added and then a third teaspoon after the chicken and pasta was added. It could probably have used a tad bit more but I stopped there and added a pinch to the bowl after served.

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