Chicken Noodle Soup

What better dish to help heal than the old favourite Chicken Soup. 

Here is a recipe that makes its own stock, you could use  a bought stock and a cooked chicken, but it is not as healthy and really not the same.

1 Free Range Chicken

2 Carrots

2 Sticks Celery

1 Leek (or Onion)

1 Clove Garlic

100g Macaroni (or substitute with other type pasta)

1 Bay Leaf

1 Sprig Thyme

Parsley

Salt and Pepper to Season

Water

Wash chicken (including cavity) under tap and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in a pot, add one peeled carrot, one celery stick, washed leek (make sure this is done well to remove all the grit), garlic, the thyme and the bay leaf.

Cover all ingredients with water and place over a medium heat and bring to boil.

Turn down heat and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.

Let cool in fridge for few hour or overnight. This will let the fat set on top and it can be easily removed with a spoon.

Remove chicken, carrot, celery, leek, garlic, bay leaf and thyme from stock, carefully draining as you do. Seperate and shred meat from chicken and add back to the stock. Finely dice the remaining carrot and celery and add to the chicken and stock mixture. Put over a gentle heat and bring up to the boil. Once boiling add pasta and cook until ready. Season and add finely chopped parsley to taste.

Serve in a large bowl with crusty wholemeal bread.