Chicken Noodle Soup

I love the smell of dinner simmering in the kitchen on a cold winter's day. Today was one of those days. My kids spent the day playing outside in the 8" of snow, making snow slides out of the mounds of snow piles. So, between those outings, hot tea/cocoa fixes, I managed to start a pot of homemade chicken & noodle soup. To me, soup is so comforting on cold days. I love to make a big batch and freeze some for later use.

Chicken Noodle Soup
serves 8-10

1 3-4# roasting chicken, cooked, boned, and chopped (save broth for later)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 med onion, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups dried egg noodles
1 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp celery leaves, fresh, or 1 tsp dried
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine chicken, carrots, celery, onion, chicken broth, and spices. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 3-4 hours. Test carrots for doneness; if needed, simmer for an additional 20 min or so. Add noodles, and simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until noodles are done. This can also be prepared in the crock pot, cooked on low for 6-7 hours, adding the noodles at the last 30 minutes.