Chicken Noodle Soup Made with Love

Today has been such a cold and rainy day here in Georgia. But that means it's perfect soup weather! And it also means it's time to bring my favorite soup recipe out of the pantry.

I originally got this recipe from Sophistimom, who gives a great tutorial on how to cut heart shaped carrots like I did. They are much easier than they look, and they add so much more "love" to this recipe!

Chicken Soup with Heart-Shaped Carrots

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• three large carrots, cut into hearts (see instructions above)
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock (Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock is what I normally use)
• 2-3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1/2 pound small pasta, such as farfalle or rotini
• fresh parsley (if desired)

Directions

1. In a large pot set over medium-low heat, combine olive oil, carrot hearts, diced onion, celery, thyme (both kinds), bay leaf, and sage. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add in stock, a cup of water, and vinegar. Add in cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. After about 20 minutes, check the soup for flavor, and add more water, salt and pepper, as necessary. Add shredded chicken to the soup to give the chicken a better flavor.
2. In each individual bowl, place the desired amount of pasta, cover with a ladle of the soup, and top with parsley.