Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from Cooking Light September 2015.  Their recipe calls for a 32 ounce container of chicken stock and rotisserie chicken breast but I prefer to make my own.

A couple of pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (I use whatever is on sale or whatever I have on hand)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high.  Brown the chicken, first the skin side then the other side.

Celery, chopped roughly
Carrots, chopped roughly
Onion, quartered
Sprig of thyme
Bay leaf

Add to the pot and cover with water.  Cover with a lid and cook over low-medium heat for at least an hour or so.  When the chicken is cooked well, remove from pot, remove the skin, shred the chicken and return the bones to the pot.  Cook uncovered for a while until reduced to 6 cups, strain.  Now, you have homemade stock and cooked chicken.  You can do this part a day ahead so you can skim the fat easily from the stock.

Time to make the soup...

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

Heat in a pot over medium/high heat.

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot (I like to do it in long diagonal slices)
2/3 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup finely chopped onion

Saute 5 minutes.  While this is going on, heat your stock.  Add to the veggies and bring to a boil.

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 fresh sprigs (I like the fresh best)
6 ounces whole grain rotini (about 2 cups), dry

Add to the pot, reduce heat to medium and cook 8 minutes.  Add the shredded chicken, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pot.   Cook until everything is heated through and the pasta is tender.

Justin loves chicken noodle soup and I got tired of buying it canned.  He likes this even better!