Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Who doesn't love a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold winters day?  It is super easy to make and you almost always have all the ingredients on hand, not to mention very inexpensive.  Lately I have been buying all my chicken with bone in, so I have been able to make my own chicken broth.  Making your own chicken broth is also totally easy, just save your bones, add water, throw in carrots, onions, a bay leaf, salt & pepper...simmer on low all day.  At the end of the day pour through a strainer into a large bowl- homemade broth!  I freeze it until I am ready to use.  One less thing to purchase at the store :)  I do try to keep broth on hand all the time, I seem to use it in many many things.

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded cooked chicken (You can put more in, but I like to stretch food, I just think of how much chicken they put in the canned version)

1/2 cup carrots, peeled, sliced

1/2 cup onions, diced

4 tablespoons butter

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt (you may want to add more, depending on what your family likes)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 bay leaf

8 ounces dried pasta of choice (I chose brown rice penne pasta - trader joes 1.99- 1lb)

Bring a pot of water to boil, cook the pasta according to package directions. Sautee the onions & carrots in the butter until they are soft.  Once cooked, add the broth, and the rest of the seasonings (including bay leaf).  Add the chicken, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Once the noodles are cooked, drain & add to the broth mixture.  Simmer until ready to serve, the longer it simmers, the more the flavor meld together.  

*One more thing, feel free to throw in a 1/2 cup of chopped celery.  We're actually not fans of it, so I never have it on hand.  Honestly I don't miss it in the soup, but if you like it, add it in (when you sautee the onions)!