After another long weekend of traveling, and with another week of work ahead of me, I came home Sunday night with a super craving for chicken noodle soup. I considered stopping at Panera on my way home from the airport and picking some up, but I knew I had all the necessary ingredients at home already and that there would be a great feeling of accomplishment if I made it myself. So I set to work.
I chopped up 3 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and one onion. Everything went into the pot to sauté until the veggies became soft.
Now, this is the “secret” key ingredient – the chicken stock. This “Better than Bouillon” has really made a difference in the soups we have made recently. It comes in a super condensed form to which you add hot water. The result is a richly flavored broth that really leaves other contenders behind.
So, I added 6 cups of broth and 2 cups of water. Plus two bay leaves. Then let it simmer for a bit.
Luckily this soup-making experience was made even easier by the fact that we had previously shredded a roasted chicken and frozen it. So all I had to do was add the chicken to the pot. I also added about 6 oz of gemelli pasta and kept the head on until the noodles were al dente. I think next time, I might use less pasta, but that’s just me.
Finally, it was time to enjoy my creation. I was extremely pleased, as this soup really hit the spot. 
I would definitely recommend making your own version of the traditional chicken noodle soup, as it allows you to control what you put into it. Plus, then you have enough for lunch the next day 🙂