As we all know, chicken noodle soup is good for the soul, especially on those cold, miserable, grey rainy days.

Well, rather than writing about this delicious hot bowl of goodness, I'd rather be eating it! It's very easy to make too.

Carrots, onion, celery... the classic mirepoix mix is at the heart of the recipe.

Want to Use Fresh Ingredients?

If you want to use fresh ingredients that you may have on hand, do this:

Exchange the dry ingredients in the recipe, above, for these fresh ingredients listed below!

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 large onion, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 slice fresh elephant garlic, or 1 small clove of "regular sized" garlic

To Make Good Chicken Soup, You Need Good Stock!

Go easy on yourself and purchase "Better than Bouillon" stock by Superior Touch.

Read more about that fantastic stock here.

But if you want to make your own stock, here's how:

To make chicken stock from scratch, you will need:

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 8 cups of water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon of peppercorns

To make the chicken stock:

1. Place the chicken in a large pot.
2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and water.
3. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt.
4. Bring the pot of water to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours.
6. Remove the chicken from the pot.
7. Strain the stock.
8. Store the stock in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for up to six months.

What Are the Benefits of Homemade Chicken Stock?

Did you know that homemade chicken stock is packed with nutrients?
Here are 20 benefits of eating homemade chicken stock:

What's the Nutritional Value of Chicken Stock?

Chicken stock is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Some of the nutrients found in chicken stock include:

• Protein: Chicken stock is a good source of protein. One cup of chicken stock contains about 10 grams of protein.
• Vitamins: Chicken stock is a good source of vitamins A, B6, and B12.
• Minerals: Chicken stock is a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Amino acids: Chicken stock contains all of the essential amino acids.
• Antioxidants: Chicken stock contains antioxidants that can help to protect cells from damage.
• Fat: Chicken stock is a low-fat food. One cup of chicken stock contains about 2 grams of fat.
• Calories: One cup of chicken stock contains about 50 calories.
• Carbohydrates: One cup of chicken stock contains about 3 grams of carbohydrates.
• Sugar: One cup of chicken stock contains about 1 gram of sugar.
• Fiber: One cup of chicken stock contains about 1 gram of fiber.

Chicken Soup IS Good for the Soul!

There's something about chicken soup—doesn't matter what time of the year you have it—it soothes the soul, mends a cold, and fixes a broken heart!

Don't miss out on serving your soup with your own fresh baked bread! I love a slice of bread with cold butter or margarine on it. It's so delicious when you dip it in the soup... and it melts in your mouth!

This is a very easy meal, quick to prepare too, and what I like is that there's very little clean-up in the kitchen because you're only using one saucepan :-)

I'd like to make a note here that you are free to make this chicken noodle soup, or any of these recipes on our site, using fresh ingredients.

In fact, the recipe eBook lists the quantities of the fresh ingredients too!

Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!