Chicken Noodle Soup

We eat a lot of chicken, and it's fun (and sometimes a little frustrating) to find new ways to prepare it. Who knew that Nov. 12 was Chicken Soup for the Soul Day?! Not me...but I had a package of chicken and everything I needed to make soup.

I love chicken noodle soup but haven't had much success with it in the past - no matter what I did, it just didn't seem to have much flavor. In an effort to make a soup that didn't just taste like chicken broth, I made two additions this time that made all the difference - lemon zest and a jalapeno. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1 T canola oil
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• zest of one lemon
• 1 lb. chicken, cooked, cooled, and diced
• 2 quarts low sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 bag egg noodles

Method:

1. Heat oil in stock pot over medium heat.
2. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and jalapeno until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in dill, zest, and pepper. Add chicken.
4. Add stock and bring to boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions, about 7 - 9 minutes.