Mom's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
By: Layne Diehl
Published: Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 10:43am

Ingredients




3-5 Chicken Breasts
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (use your favorite combination)
Any extra veggies you have laying around (onion and celery are great additions)
2 heaping tablespoons of chicken bouillon base (I use Anne's Old Fashioned Chicken Base)
1 great big pot
1 box noodles (Rotini is good because it doesn't break up as quickly as others, but use whatever you have in your cupboard.)
1 tablespoon oregano
1 1/2 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 1/2 tablespoon onion flakes
5 tablespoons butter

Preparation

1 Clean chicken and lay in frying pan sprayed with cooking spray. 2 Fry chicken on medium heat, letting both sides brown to golden color. 3 While letting chicken cook, fill your pot a little over halfway with water. 4 Place water on stove and set to medium high. (If you don't have chicken bouillon base, you can use chicken broth.  It is also good to use saved chicken drippings from a full chicken roast.  You just want enough base for a slightly salty flavor to come through.  Extra base or broth can be added as you test the soup while cooking.  Better to be conservative in the beginning and add more than to overdo it and end up with too much sodium flavor.) 5 Add vegetables and chicken bouillon to water. 6 You may butterfly the chicken while cooking to ensure it is cooked through. 7 Remove thoroughly cooked chicken from pan. 8 Cut out any unwanted pieces (This is important. Those nasty fatty and rubbery pieces do not add to the flavor and will ruin the entire dining experience for someone who lucks into getting it in their bowl.) 9 Cut chicken into small pieces and add to pot. 10 Place butter in frying pan with leftover chicken drippings. 11 Turn burner with frying pan to low until butter melts. 12 Add 1/2 cup water to butter mixture. 13 Use spatula to break up chicken drippings in frying pan. 14 Add butter mixture to pot. 15 Add noodles to pot and let simmer until al dente. 16 Add all spices. 17 Add more water if necessary. 18 You can keep this simmering all day.  Stir occasionally. 19 Serve with biscuits or cornbread.

About

This recipe is an estimate, just like all soup recipes should be.  But for the benefit of those that feel they have to measure everything out, here you go.  For those who like to improvise, I've added some hints for that, too.  This recipe is perfect for a snowy day or when the whole house is suffering from cold symptoms.  It always tastes like a little bit of love in a pot.  Enjoy!