What is it about chicken noodle soup that is the perfect remedy to a winter cold? Last weekend it crept up on me out of nowhere. My mind over matter mantra of, “I’m not getting sick, I’m not getting sick” failed miserably, but thankfully, didn’t last long. It started Friday night, hit me hard Saturday, & then by Sunday afternoon after watching food documentaries: Fat, Salt, Acid, Heat; Cooked, & beginning Ugly Delicious (all of which I’d recommend) I was beginning to feel achey from spending too much time on the couch & decided it was time to make some soup. Sure we have the canned stuff at home, but come on, nothing tastes as good as homemade. And I even made my own noodles. It was warm, comforting, & nourishing like wrapping your whole body in a chicken noodle soup blanket, if that were a thing. The hubby even went out, per my request, & bought a baguette from Panera to complement the soup. Perfection!

Ingredients:

For the noodles:

• 1 1/4 cups flour, spooned & leveled
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 milk
• 2 tsp softened butter

For the soup:

• 3 tbsps butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped small
• 5 carrots, peeled & chopped
• 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 cups water
• 3 tbsps Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, pulled & deboned
• S&P to taste

Preparation:

For the noodles:

In a stand mixer, whisk together the flour & salt. In a small bowl beat the egg & milk together. Add liquid mixture to the flour, add softened butter, & combine with a wooden spoon until it has come together. Add the dough hook & knead for 5 minutes. Cover & rest for 5 minutes. Roll out the dough to an 1/8 of an inch thick, think thin as the noodles will puff up once in the soup. Slice the the dough into strips using a pizza cutter, approximately 2-3 inches long, & 1/4 inch wide; it doesn’t have to be exact. Separate the noodles out so they’re not touching & allow to dry. I found it ended up being the perfect amount of time to dry as I prepared the rest of the soup.

For the soup:

In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, & 1 1/2 tsp salt. Stir occasionally & sauté for 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, sauté for a minute more. Add in the water & turn the heat up to high. Stir in chicken base. Add thyme, basil, oregano, & poultry seasoning. Add the chicken. Once the soup comes to a low boil, lower heat, simmer, partially cover & cook for 10 minutes, until carrots are tender. Turn the heat up & bring to a boil, add the noodles & cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with S&P. Enjoy!

Source: http://www.thefoodcharlatan.com