Homemade Chicken Soup-A Twist On An Old Favorite

We never forget our favorite comfort foods from childhood. Whether it is Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup or Grandma's classic cornbread, there are some recipes that stand the test of time. As much as we love these things, it's still fun to spice them up a bit! Experimenting with an family recipe is a good way to truly make it your own. Some of my experiments didn't turn out so well; you know you've made a mistake when it's so bad that even the dog won't eat it! Even so, some of the best concoctions you make can come out of simply 'playing around' with a favorite recipe. While I *do* follow the proportions of recipes for the most part, it's easy to adjust the amounts of things like spices to adapt them to your personal taste. In the interest of entertaining myself and discovering new tastes, I've come up with some 'twists' on my family's old recipes. Here is my favorite:

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

32 oz box of chicken broth (Swanson's makes a good one)

8-10 oz (roughly 1 breast) chicken breast

1/3 box Barilla bow tie pasta (or another brand or shape)

Ground cumin

Fresh cracked pepper

sliced carrots, celery, perhaps broccoli

All spices, as well as noodles and vegetables, are to your taste. I personally like a lot of vegetables and noodles in my soup, whereas my husband likes a lot of chicken and broth. It's all up to you.

Spray the pan with non-stick spray or use a thin layer of melted butter. Cut the thawed chicken breast into chunks and fry in pan until there's no more pink showing. In another pot, heat broth to boiling. Put the noodles in and cook until they are tender. While everything is cooking, chop whichever vegetables you want. I would put the vegetables in just before the noodles are to the desired tenderness because I like them firm, but it's up to you. Add the chicken. At this point, put the cumin and pepper in to your own taste. You could also put the cumin on the chicken (butter or non-stick spray can help the cumin stay on the chicken), but I usually put it directly in the soup. The recipe serves two.

My husband and I like to have the soup with a fresh Caesar salad and/or a hot baguette. Of course, you could add to the salad or use a different kind of 'crusty' bread; a nice ciabatta or sourdough works well too. Rather than using standard butter, we've used 'Italian butter'-a small saucer with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, oregano and freshly-grated parmesan cheese.

I think this will be a hit for you and your family for a simple lunch or light dinner. The soup and salad are also a good way to 'trick' your husband or kids into eating something that is actually good for them! My husband is a really picky eater, so I know how hard that can be!

Have fun!