poultry panacea

Here's the scenario: You're lethargic and can feel yourself getting sick, AND the weather outside is frightful (officially scratching Joaquin off the list for potential dog and/or baby names). What's for dinner?

The answer is obvious: Chicken noodle soup. It's aromatic, nutritious, delicious, and most importantly in this specific instance, EASY. More ambitious (and less sickly) people would tell me to make my own broth or stock, but I was fine with using the already-prepared version on this particular windy, rainy, altogether unpleasant eve.

I was looking at recipes online and saw some using rosemary as the primary herb and others using thyme. I like both, but my decision was made for me when I looked outside through the rain-streaked windows and was reminded that our rosemary plants were a total bust but that the thyme was still sitting pretty.

Adding pasta to soups is always a little hairy. If you have leftovers or don't eat immediately, the pasta gets swollen and soft and gross (and steals a lot of that delicious broth!). I almost always cook with the intention of having leftovers, so I'll usually keep the pasta out of any soup, prepare it separately, and add the noodles to each bowl. They aren't quite as tasty this way, but rounds two and three (and four!?) benefit greatly!

Chicken and Egg (Noodle) Soup
(printable recipe)
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
• 2 quarts chicken stock or broth
• 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions:
Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and thyme. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil.
Stir in the chicken and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. If you're intended to serve this immediately and consume all of it, add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. If not, prepare the noodles separately and add them bowl to bowl.
Before serving, stir in a handful of chopped fresh parsley, and add freshly ground black pepper, more thyme or rosemary, and more salt to taste.