Chicken Noodle Soup

Common colds are plentiful at this time of the year, but in our house, my 18 year old just came down with Mono. YUCK!

She cannot swallow much due to her inflamed throat, so the challenge is to find something that provides sustenance as well as fluids. Yea! A whole turkey was on sale in the supermarket the other day for only .79/lb! I decided then and there that the first meal provided by that turkey would satisfy the rest of the family and be a traditional baked turkey with all of the fix ins while that same turkey's left-overs would provide the protein for my daughter's chicken/turkey soup! Her is the basic recipe that I followed after making the stock with the bones...


Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 15m Total Time: 1hr 05m
Ingredients
· 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken
· 6 carrots, peeled
· 4 celery stalks
· 1 large yellow onion, quartered and 1 garlic clove if desired
· 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Directions
1. Place the chicken/turkey in a large pot. Cut 3 of the carrots and 2 of the celery stalks into 1-inch pieces. Quarter the onion. Add the cut vegetables to the pot with the salt, peppercorns, and enough cold water to cover (about 8 cups). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the top, until the chicken/turkey is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the meat to a bowl and let cool. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables. Return the broth to the pot. Thinly slice the remaining carrots and celery. Add them to the broth and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and add it to the soup. Cook ditalini pasta in a separate pot of boiling water to add to the soup bowls along with the soup itself. Ladle into individual bowls.

The good news...she can SLOWLY eat the soup with only a little pain.