#Ali’s Chicken Noodle Soup ##Ingredients 4 tbsp butter 3-4 large carrots, chopped into equal pieces 3-4 large celery stalks, chopped into equal pieces 1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, diced (white, yellow, or Spanish onions are all fine) Salt to taste 1 tsp fresh ground pepper 1/2 tbsp rosemary 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp basil 1 tsp parsley 1 bay leaf (All herb measurements are my best guess, since I always just eyeball it; add to taste.) 1/2 lb baked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken, shredded; or 1 can of chicken* 1 container bone broth Water Egg noodles or ditalini^ Optional: 1 bouillon cube or 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon 2 cups spinach or kale ##Directions 1. If you’re not using rotisserie or canned chicken, bake the chicken ahead of time, seasoned with salt and pepper. Shred once it’s cooked and set aside. 2. Chop the carrots. Throw them in a large pot on medium heat with the butter. These take the longest to soften, so they should go in the pot first. Stir so that all the pieces are covered in the melted butter. 3. While the carrots are sautéing in the butter, chop the celery and onion and then add to the pot. Mix so that all the veggies are covered in the butter. 4. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, and all the herbs. Stir until well-mixed. 5. Sauté on medium-high heat until the chicken and veggies get nice and brown. The carrots and onions should get caramelized, and some chicken pieces might get a little crispy. Scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. 6. Add the bone broth. Fill up the empty broth container with water and add that as well. 7. Bring to a boil. Taste the broth and—if it needs it—add more salt (or a bouillon cube, or Better Than Bouillon) to taste; let it boil for a bit before trying it again. I usually ask myself, “Do I want to keep eating this?” when trying it to help me decide whether it needs more seasoning. Remember, the broth is the most important part of the soup! 8. Add the egg noodles or ditalini; cook for the amount of time on the pasta box. 9. Optional: If you would like to add more veggies to the soup, now is the time to add the spinach or kale, at the very end. Stir in until it is wilted. 10. Bring the pot off the heat. Last chance to try it and add more seasoning. 11. Serve hot with crackers, crusty bread, or a good grilled cheese sandwich. Whoever gets the bay leaf wins (which is what I tell myself if I forget to remove it.) Enjoy! ##Notes *Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is convenient and time-saving. Canned chicken saves even more time because it comes pre-shredded; it is also easy to store in the pantry, so that you can make this soup toward the end of your shopping cycle. ^I often accidentally add too much pasta, so I have no idea what measurement to give you; just do your best. Try to keep it a good ratio of pasta to chicken to veggies, so that if you take a random scoop, you get an equal amount of each on your spoon. Remember that the pasta will expand as it cooks. Keep in mind also that if you store any as leftovers, the pasta will absorb the broth. If this happens, you can add a little water and salt to your bowl before reheating to create some more broth; be careful not to water it down too much!