Chicken Noodle Soup

I remember mom making homemade chicken noodle soup.  My favorite memory was in Colorado when I had a snow day and was outside sledding and playing all day and she had a HUGE pot of soup on the stove and I kept coming in to eat some and then going back out to play.  One of my favorite snow memories. (which is more revolved around food than snow)  :)  Through couponing I acquired a ton of egg noodles for free and had no recipes to use them for.  I asked mom about her recipe and she just gave me one of those "oh, a little of this and that" throw it together recipes.  Those kind give me high anxiety when I'm first trying them out.  I researched a little online and then compiled this recipe from a few different variations.  The pictured bowl doesn't have much broth, but it usually has a good even ratio of chunk to broth.  I think it is soooo yummy!  I took this pic on the floor in the napper room at school while I was eating my lunch late and trying to pat childrens' backs at the same time.  :)  Tell me what you think if you try it!

What you need:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1/2 pound shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles
• 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

 I usually use leftover chicken or shredded up pieces of the rotisserie kind that you can buy at the store. I never really measure out for this recipe, I just add as I see fit.  Last time I added zucchini and squash and that was tasty too.  If you're going to try that, do it at the very end. 

What you do:

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. (I usually add the carrots toward the end of the 5 minutes to soften them up a little bit)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.