Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

I tried this recipe out of the "Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook." Here is the original recipe:

1 4-5lb. stewing chicken, cut up
6 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups dried medium noodles
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 TBS snipped fresh parsley

The first time I made this I did not have stewing chicken on hand so I just used chicken breasts. It worked and was plenty tasty. The second time I tried this recipe I did use a stewing chicken and yuck! It was messy, I did not like picking off the good meat to eat, so much gross fatty stuff to throw away, and I had to skim the fat off the broth. So much more work and not one bit of difference in taste. Not worth it. Then I got smart and decided I could skip a lot of these steps by just buying chicken broth so this week I tried it and here is the easy-peasy version:

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
Combine these ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then reduce and simmer until onions are tender. Add some shredded chicken (I had some leftover from a different meal or you could use a rotisserie chicken cut up). Bring broth to a boil and add noodles, carrots, and celery. Simmer for about 8 minutes or until noodles are tender. De-lish!

The best part of this soup is the homemade noodles, which are actually really easy too. I got this recipe from the same cookbook, but cut it in half because it makes plenty of noodles.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp oil

1. In a large bowl combine flour, basil, & salt.
2. In a small bowl combine egg, water, and oil.
3. Stir to combine. I start by mixing it together with a fork and then use my hands to knead it until the dough is smooth and elastic. Knead it on the table with about 1/3 cup flour sprinkled on the surface.
4. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 min.
5. Cut the dough in 1/2 and roll it out to desired thickness. Set it on a rack to dry for about 20 minutes. I let it rest for a long time so the noodles aren't sticky.
6. After the dough is dry use a pizza cutter to cut out your noodles to your desired size and shape. The recipe says it will only take 1 1/2 - 2 min. to cook, but it usually takes my noodles about 5min. Just cook to taste.

It takes a little time, but it's fun and Eddy l-o-v-e-s!! this soup.