My homemade chicken noodle soup has a lot of fans. I attribute its popularity to several key ingredients - rich, garlicky homemade chicken stock, loads of dried parsley, tons of chicken, and really thick country style noodles.

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First I start with these wonderful Country Pasta egg noodles. They're not your ordinary noodle, no... they are extraordinary and well worth finding. What makes them so special you ask? The fact that they're really thick and hold up extremely well in soups and stews. They have a real textural quality when you bite into them. Because these noodles are so much more substantial than other brands, they take twice as long to cook, so I boil them before assembling the soup (use a large stock pot because these guys puff up quite a bit). Be sure to salt your water well, or they'll taste very bland (water should taste like the sea).

I always make a huge batch of this soup because it's so popular, but you can easily reduce the ingredients for a smaller batch. First I start with about 6 quarts of Homemade chicken stock.

Then I add lots of shredded chicken - for a batch of soup this size, I would suggest the meat from 1 1/2 to 2 chickens. I usually roast my own chickens, but feel free to use rotisserie chickens if you like.

Now I add frozen mixed veggies - I like this organic brand from Costco. I use about half of this 5lb. bag. Don't forget to add salt and pepper to taste, and throw in a decent palm-full of dried parsley - another Costco item I can't live without. Then just heat and serve.

Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

recipe serves 26, but can easily be reduced

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound hearty soup noodles, cooked in well salted water

• 6 quarts homemade chicken stock (recipe here)

• shredded meat from 1 1/2 to 2 roasted chickens (recipe here)

• 2 1/2 pounds frozen mixed vegetables

• 2-3 tablespoons dried parsley, crushed in the palm of your hand

• salt and pepper to taste

• finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the chicken stock, chicken, vegetables, parsley, salt, and pepper; heat stirring occasionally.

2. Add cooked noodles to serving bowls, ladle soup on top, and finish with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese.