The Comfort of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

​For years, I’ve always detested the taste of soup. It felt like I was like drinking “dirty water”; flavorless and a waste of time. As I’ve grown older and more health conscious (i.e. fasting and clean eating), I’ve learned that homemade soup plays such a positive role in our nutrition. Not only is soup good for the common cold and flu, but also the ingredients in homemade soups provide such a variety of benefits. Homemade soup contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, some fat, as well as, the protein and carbohydrates needed to boost the body’s immune system to help fight off bacteria and strengthen white blood cells. It provides much-needed support to the body when it is not getting the necessary nutrients due to sickness, and has been known to help suppress coughing, as well as, chest and nasal congestion. We all know fresh vegetables are best for the body (in sickness and in health) as we should have about 6-8 servings of them a day anyway. Not to mention it’s so easy to make, nutritional, and low in calories, too!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cubes chicken bouillon or 1 ½ 2 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 cup celery (chopped)
• 2 cup carrots (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon of garlic (minced)
• 1 cup fusilli noodles (or any noodle of your choice)
• 3 scallions/green onions (chopped)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 chicken breasts (cubed and seasoned)
• 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil

(Salt and pepper seasoned to taste. For a kick, hot sauce or red pepper flakes to taste)
Directions:

1. Combine water and chicken bouillon or stock in a medium pot (set to medium heat until simmering).
2. In a small pan, heat olive oil. Then, add minced garlic and toss until lightly brown. Set aside.
3. Add thyme, garlic, carrots, onions, and celery to water. Reduce heat and cover. Add seasoning as desired.
4. In a small saucepan, fill with water and heat until boiling. Once boiling, add cubed chicken and boil for approx 5 minutes. (I find that this keeps the chicken very moist, tender, and the raw chicken will not taint the broth you have already simmering). Stir occasionally.
5. Once the vegetables have lightly softened, drain and add the chicken cubes to your broth. Continue to simmer and stir occasionally.
6. Once the vegetables have softened and chicken is cooked all the way through (7-10 minutes), add desired noodles.
7. Simmer until the noodles are al dente; then remove from heat. *Noodles will continue to soften in the water, so you don’t want to overcook them. Also, the noodles will continue to expand and suck up some of the water. So, if you feel the need to add additional water, do so as long as it doesn’t change the flavor of the brew.*
8. Let cool for a few minutes and serve warm/hot.