“Make Me Feel Better” Soup

Saturday is our running day.  Drum lessons, grocery shopping, oil change, hair cuts, pick up that birthday card…you get the picture.  We wake up early, the girls usually make breakfast and then it is off and running until dinner time.  But sometimes life throws you a curve ball.  The kind that totally rearranges your plans.  That is what happened today.  I woke up to find two very sick little girls with stuffy noses, nasty coughs, puffy red eyes and chill bumps.  And as much as I wish Spring had sprung, the weather today is cold and rainy; dreary all around.  So one look at my little cherubs and one look out the window and I knew we would not accomplish much today.  So instead of grabbing a quick bite and heading out the door, I made two very comfy spots on the couch, found a Disney movie and snuggled my little ones up for a long day of nothing.


Mid morning the girls made a request for that “special soup that makes us feel better.”  I knew exactly what soup they were talking about and it makes me laugh to know they think so highly of it.  It is really a very simple soup I make with short notice whenever someone gets the sniffles in our house.  I learned from my Mema that a good soup can kick a cold’s butt before it really kicks yours.  Mema’s Brunswick Stew, made with beef from the cow she raised and veggies from the garden she tended in her back yard was more potent than any antibiotic discovered to date.  Now, I can’t compare this quick “make me feel better” soup to Mema’s powerful stew, but the principle is the same.  Something comforting, made with love and served while snuggling under blankets on a rainy day is bound to make us feel better.

I came up with this very quick version of Chicken Noodle soup on the fly.  It is made with items I keep in the pantry all the time.  Play with the flavors but make sure to keep the thyme and celery seeds in.  They are great for flavor and excellent for cold-butt-kicking properties.   Despite the name this soup can actually be made with or without chicken.  For example today I didn’t have any chicken thawed so I didn’t add any.  However I did have some turkey bacon so I added that instead.  My favorite part of making this soup is the way the house smells while the veggies and herbs are sauteing in your stock pot.  Even weak, sickly, picky eaters can’t resist sneaking in the kitchen for a closer look.  

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbs minced garlic
• 2 medium carrots, skinned and chopped
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, bite sized cooked chicken
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 can cream of chicken soup + 1 can water
• 8 oz of your favorite noodles
• salt and pepper to taste

Putting It All Together:

1. Coat stock pot with oil and turn burner to medium heat.
2. Add onion  garlic, carrots, celery seed, thyme and bay leaf.
3. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes, until veggies are fragrant and slightly soft.
4. Pour in stock, soup and water using whisk to mix well.
5. Bring to a boil and add noodles.
6. Reduce to simmer, cook and stir for 10 minutes, until noodles are soft.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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