Chicka Chicka Soup Please

Laela and I both woke up this morning with some good old fashioned snot-o-rama.  I think hers is from the vaccines she got on Friday (they said cold like symptoms would occur a few days later) and that mine's just from being a bit run down, but regardless, we're both cranky and in the mood for some tlc and chicken noodle soup.

Here's how to make a pretty fool-proof chicken noodle soup:

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 large carrots (chopped into chunks or diced, depending on your preference.)
• 2 stalks celery (chopped or diced, depending on how you preference.)
• 1 medium onion finely chopped (I prefer vidalia)
• 1 small bunch chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 ounces egg noodles
• 1/4 cup freshly cut dill leaves, chopped
• 2 Tb butter
• 3 Tb all purpose flour
  

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the chopped garlic and saute until fragrant, 1 minute more. Whisk in the flour and stir frequently until it coats the vegetables and makes a paste. Cook until it reaches a pale blonde color, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, making sure there are no lumps.  Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes to thicken and develop the flavors.

Reduce the heat and add the chicken and the noodles. Do not boil the chicken or it will become tough. Add the dill and simmer gently for 10 more minutes.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve.

  *Note:  If you like peas or corn in your soup, feel free to add as much as you want.  Also, I prefer more noodles than chicken, So I sometimes make more noodles than the recipe yields.
 
I hope this soup helps you as much as it helps my stuffiness!