Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

January is National Soup Month. I had no idea of it when I decided to make this recipe, but I was glad to hear that it's a good time to give soup a shout-out.  This is a really hearty soup for not a lot of calories, and I used even more veggies than the recipe calls for - it just depends on how brothy or chunky you like your soups. You can also use different kinds of pasta and veggies to shake it up. It is really delicious - way better than the canned kind, if I do say so myself!

Healthy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

modified from here

serves 6 generously

12 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

6 cups (1 quart) chicken stock

20 sliced baby carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 medium chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 oz uncooked orzo pasta (or small pasta of choice)

1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Start by trimming any fat off the chicken breasts, then place in a crock pot with about a ½ cup of lightly salted water on high for about 3 hours, until just cooked through (don’t let it overcook, or it will be really tough!). When done, cut the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces or shred.

In a large stock pot, bring chicken broth to a low boil and add the carrots, celery, onion, oregano, salt, black pepper, parsley, and thyme. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, until veggies are soft. Add the chicken meat and stir to combine. Simmer an additional 20 minutes. In the meantime, cook pasta to al dente.
 
Stir in cooked pasta and peas. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!