Chicken (Noodle) Soup for the Soul

I really enjoy cooking, as long as it is not overly complicated.  I think I have made mention before of the fact that I love making soups, stews, and chili during the winter - they seem like very winter-appropriate meals, right?  So, on Sunday night, I put on my chef's hat to make chicken noodle soup.  Alan requests this any time he is sick ... actually, he requests it any time he thinks he can get it, because he says that it is his most favorite recipe of mine, his favorite thing to eat that I cook.  It really is not that difficult, just requires a little prep time and some patience, but not any special skills or weird ingredients and, if I do say so myself, it is awesome.  We had it for dinner on Sunday night, and again last night. 

Last night was bath time for the spoiled labradors.  I intended to take pictures, but it takes both Alan and me working together simultaneously to bathe the spoiled labradors, so picture taking was out.  Being labradors, you would think they would actually enjoy being in the water.  You would be wrong.  They do well once they're in the tub - they stand still and let you do what you've got to do with only a small amount of pitiful puppy dog eyes and a look of martyrdom, but they aren't enjoying it.  Layla is especially adverse to water of any kind.  When she was a baby, I took her over to my parents' house one afternoon and let her outside with Augie and my parents' dog Susie.  At some point, apparently, Layla fell into the pool.  I don't know how, but she managed to get herself out and, ever since then, she does not like swimming of any kind - pool, lake, stream, bathtub:  not happening.  Augie, on the other hand, does enjoy swimming, as long as it's not in the bathtub ... he prefers good, dirty water, preferably with a layer of slime or guck ... his most favorite swimming holes are the water hazards on golf courses, which almost always have a healthy layer of guck just for him.  Anyway, the bathing was finished without incident and fairly routinely, and we put on dry clothes and enjoyed some of the soup.

Here's the recipe, courtesy of the Food Network website (don't be intimidated - I swear it's easy and not too terribly time consuming) (also, you'll notice it's by Paula Deen so in case you were wondering about its healthiness ... well, it's Paula Deen ... just enjoy how delicious it is):

The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup
recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts of water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup cooking sherry
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
• seasoning salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the stock:  add all ingredients to soup pot.  Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.  Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool.  Remove and discard bay leaves and onion.  You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock.  When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage.  Set chicken aside.

For the soup:  bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes.  Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes.  Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package.  When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry, and rosemary.  Add Parmesan and cream, if using.  Cook for another 2 minutes.  Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper.  Enjoy!