Nothing Better Than Mama’s Chicken Noodle Soup

When I was a kid, I had a terrible immune system. I would always get sick. At least once a year i would have something terrible - mostly bronchitis and pneumonia. And let's just say, I hated (and still do) canned chicken noodle soup.

No one wants to eat when they are sick like that. I was no exception, and I would sob the whole time I was forced to eat chicken noodle soup. So one day, Mom called Grandma and they talked... and together they came up with a recipe just for me. Of course, a chicken noodle soup has basic components, but Grandma and Mom added something special to it:

Love and worry for me of course, and some extra ingredients to boost my immune system to try and help me fight off my constant ailments.

The first time mom brought this soup to me, I remember coming out of a black fugue state of semi consciousness. Mom patted my hair and took my fever rag off my head, and helped me sit up.

"You HAVE to eat." She said sternly, and she pulling the bowl over to show me. It wasn't the same soup she'd been trying to get me to eat. This soup smelled like heaven. The broth was golden, and the noodles were big and plump. I could see chunks of chicken in there, and carrots and celery. It looked amazing. It felt like just the smell of the soup alone was making me feel stronger.

And that first bite was like the warmest, most flavorful, most amazing hug in my mouth. I could feel the warmth flow down into my belly, and all of a sudden I was ravenous. And of course, it did make me feel better.

At the time when I was a kid, I thought it was magic. Now I know that this soup is packed with nutrients and vitamins and all around 'good for you things.' But at that time that mom fed it to me when I was just a sick kid, it was healing magic. My mom was a magical sorceress who enchanted a bowl of soup and cast a healing spell on me.

And to this day, this is the soup that I make for my own children now when they are sick.

Ingredients:

1 large pack of boneless chicken tenderloin strips

1 whole clove of garlic

1 whole white onion.

1 bunch of green onions

1 heart of celery.

1 package of chopped button mushrooms.

1 Red bell pepper.

1 bag of baby carrots

2 tablespoons of Turmeric

1 Ginger root

Parsley

Italian Seasoning

Salt

2 boxes of chicken stock/broth

2 cups of water.

Directions:

It's a pretty simple recipe. Before you start, realize that this recipe makes quite a lot of soup, so you may want to use a 10 quart pot.

Cut your chicken tenderloin strips into squares. I use the whole package because this recipe makes about 5 quarts of soup.

Cut up all your veggies to the size you like. I chop my celery into bite size moons, and I just slice my baby carrots in half or in 3 pieces, depending on the size.

The bell peppers, onions should be diced into smaller pieces too.

Dice your garlic into very fine pieces. (Protip: I use the preminced garlic in jars - it's just as a good when you dont have time to fight with garlic peels)

Grate your fresh ginger using the fine teeth of your grater, or the citrus peel grater. You could use ginger powder that you buy in the seasoning section, but nothing beats that taste that fresh ginger provides.

Add your spices - and I don't really measure these. My grandmother - who was Italian - and learned to cook in Italy - would always tell me as a girl: "you don't measure spices with spoons or numbers. You measure it with your heart - and you add them slowly. You can always add more, you can't take out." I add enough turmeric to where the broth is a light yellow, and it stains the chicken on the outside.

You combine all of your ingredients in a big pot and bring it to a hard boil for about 10 minutes until your chicken is cooked. It should smell hearty and soulful. Turn the heat down so that it goes to a simmer, then let simmer for about 40 more minutes, then add your egg noodles.

We add the noodles last to keep them from being soggy. Nobody likes soggy noodles.

Once the noodles are soft and yellow from the turmeric broth, it's ready to eat. It's the perfect meal for a houseful that is under attack by the germs of winter months. Even picky, sicky, 'not hungry' flu patients will dig in happily. Which is good, because the best thing to help a sick body is lots of rest and good healthy food.

As you can see, it's not a hard recipe to make... but the love you put into adds that extra dash of goodness.

I remember the warm feeling in my tummy after mom served me this soup when I was sick, and cuddled up in moms arms. For the first time after that warm soup, I was able to fall asleep. My nasal passages were clearer, I felt like I could breathe. It was like a big wave of warmth, and it stayed there like warm healing coals in the bottom of my tummy. And the sleep after was peaceful.

I remember feeling so much better after the first bowl of soup. I really did feel like it was a magic spell meant to make me feel better. Mom from then on made the soup whenever we were sick, and even if we had a hard day or week and we were suffering from the 'blusey blahs.' It never failed to comfort us, to make us feel better. This soup comforted me through first heartbreaks (along with ice cream and Robin Williams in the movie "Birdcage"), illnesses, death, and family flu-breakouts.

I carry the magic on with my own babies. It's amazing knowing that the tradition of this soup will carry on. And I hope that whomever makes this dish, you do it with love, and that way when you and your family eat it, the magic will ignite and warm you too, to soothe whatever ailment you may have having. I hope that this recipe helps soothe hearts and souls and ailing bodies, and strengthens the bond of love between people. Just like it did for our family.