Almost Instant Chicken Noodle Soup

This is my go to chicken noodle soup when someone in the house wakes up feeling not so well. It is super quick and easy, and I almost always have these ingredients on hand. Of course there are many recipes for Chicken Noodle Soup and some are very lengthy and require hours. I like this one for its simplicity and because I can have it on the table in under 30 minutes.


1 cooked boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, chopped into bite size chunks (poached, baked, "nuked", whatever)
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs Parsley
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced in thin coins
1 rib of celery, sliced (or 1/4 tsp Celery Seed)
2 cans Chicken Broth
3 cups water
2 Chicken Bouillon cubes
8 0z Bow-tie (Farfalle) Pasta
1/8 tsp onion powder (or 1 shallot, minced)

Over medium high heat, add water, bouillon, broth, garlic, onion powder, carrot, celery, and chicken. Stir occasionally to break up the bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Add pasta and parsley. Cook approximately 7-10 minutes until pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm with crackers (if desired)

Noodles in White Sauce

Another family fave, and really easy!

1 box pasta (elbows, or shells work best)
1 can fat free evaporated milk (regular can be used)
2 Tbsp butter
salt/pepper to taste

Cook pasta as directed on the box. Drain pasta reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Return pasta, reserved water, evaporated milk and butter to pan. Warm until butter melts. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Noodles in Red Sauce

This is a favorite of my children, it makes a great lunch.

Ingredients:
1 box pasta (shells or elbows work best)
1 can Tomato Sauce
Water
Salt
Mozzarella, shredded (optional)

Prepare pasta as directed on box (I usually find shaving a couple of minutes off the instructed cooking time results in desired al dente of the pasta), using the entire box. When draining water off of al dente pasta reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Place the reserved water, pasta and tomato sauce in pot and stir. Allow to cook just long enough for the tomato sauce to warm.
Serve in bowls topped with mozzarella cheese.

This makes a soup of sorts that is hard to beat on a winter day. For a thinner soup like dish reserve more cooking liquid, for a thicker pasta type dish reserve less cooking liquid.
This recipe lends itself to many variations. Try tossing in one or more of these to create your custom version: minced garlic, basil, oregano, Parmesan, cooked chicken- cut in bite size pieces, ground beef- browned.