The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Ever

I love homemade soup, especially chicken noodle. Here's the recipe for the soup I mentioned in my last post!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you could use shredded rotisserie chicken)
4-5 stalks of celery, diced
4-5 large carrots, peeled & diced
1 small onion, diced
Olive oil
Butter
2-3 cloves garlic (I just use minced garlic from a jar)
Fresh thyme, oregano, and parsley (or dried versions...fresh is just prettier and tastier)
Salt & Pepper, other seasonings to taste (like garlic salt or garlic powder, etc.)
1 lemon
Your favorite kind of pasta (I like rotini, shells, or egg noodles)
Chicken stock
Water

Instructions:
I like to roast the chicken in the oven instead of boiling it with the soup - the flavor and texture of the chicken is just so much better. You could also just roast it in a skillet on the stovetop, but I usually do it in the oven. Season chicken w/ salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste (I like to use oregano and thyme), drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 400 for 25 min. (Baking time will vary depending on how big the chicken breasts are. Make sure to butterfly them open if they're extremely thick).

While chicken is roasting, start the veggies.

In a giant pot (really, use the biggest one you have because this will make a lot of soup), heat about 1-2 T. each of olive oil and butter (the flavor combo is the only reason for using both...it's just good, trust me). Add garlic and sautee for about a minute.

Add veggies and stir together. Sautee for several minutes - until onions and celery begin to turn translucent.

Add chicken stock, water, and noodles. I honestly don't measure the stock/water. I use however much stock I happen to have around (a box or 2, or several cans), and then supplement the rest of the liquid with water. Of course, you could also use chicken boullion to turn your water into broth. You want the ratio of liquid to veggies/pasta to be about 2 to 1 before the pasta is cooked...it will absorb a ton of liquid. If you use more stock than water, you may not need as many seasonings, if you use more water, use more seasonings.

Slice lemon in half add all the juice to the soup - it just adds a freshness and brightness that is so delicious. It doesn't create a strong lemon flavor at all.

Add herbs and seasonings to taste.

Cook that stuff until the noodles are cooked and the veggies are soft, then enjoy. You will need bread - I love to eat it with sourdough toast with butter and some parmesan cheese.