Sickies and Chicken Soup

We have had kids with coughs and cold since new year's eve and today it hit daddy too.  I thought instead of making a new recipe I'd start with a good classic that I make all the time.  Whether we're sick or not, Chicken Noodle Soup and Dumplings.  I've been a Rachael Ray fan for a long time and a few years ago she did a chicken noodle soup 3 ways and it's one of those that suck with me.  I've used her basic soup and put my spin on it with my husband's favorite thing, dumplings.  It's really easy and yet you get great flavor like you were simmering all day, when really it only takes about 20-30 minutes depending on how fast you chop.  Here is the original recipe from Rachael herself!   http://rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=713
Here's how I've adapted it!

Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Chop: 3 carrots, 3-4 ribs of celery and 1 medium onion
2. Add veggies to a pot with: 2-3 T evoo, 1 bay leaf, about 1 T parsley, s&p

 

3. Let saute` and cook until veggies begin to soften
4. Add 6-8 cups of chicken stock (1 1/2-2 quart size boxes)
5. Bring to a simmer
6. Add 2 chicken breasts cut into pieces and cook for 5 minutes
7. Add noodles of desire (I like to use alphabets for my kids) and cook until soft
-8. Serve and enjoy!

Now if you are happen to be like my husband and like dumplings here's how I change it up a bit.  This dumpling recipe is from his grandma that spoiled him and made these for him all the time when he was little.  She made them the long way, simmering all day long with the whole chicken and everything!  Now, I love my hubby and all, but I'm not always that eger to cook a whole bird for someone who doesn't even like the chicken in it!  So this is how I do it.

Dumplings

Combine 3 cups of flour, 2 eggs and 1 cup of milk just until it is all moist and set aside.

1. You make the base of the soup above, steps 1-5. 

2. I use a small cookie scoop or you can use 2 teaspoons to formdumpling dough into small balls and drop into simmering soup. (Stir soup about half way through the dumpling dropping to make sure they aren't all sticking together.)
3. They are done when they float to the top. 

Now you could add chicken before the dumplings if you wanted to :)



I know we all needed this warm pick-me-up today.  It was just one of those days....  Kleenex?