Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

The bad news - I've been sick the past few days. The good news - it was the perfect excuse to attempt homemade chicken noodle soup (yes, even when sick I can't stay out of the kitchen. Lol.) I will start by saying this requires a whole helluva lot more effort than opening a can of Campbells. But it's totally worth it! I used half water and half white wine for the broth. I think it tastes better and if you're sick it will help put you to sleep:)

Ingredients:
1 (3 1/2 pound) whole chicken
6 carrots
4 stalks celery
3 medium onions, peeled
5 black peppercorns
1 clove garlic, crushed
10 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 leeks, tops and roots removed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 cups medium egg noodles
water (or water and white wine) to cover

Directions:

Stock: Chop 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and one onion and place in a large stockpot. Add chicken, peppercorns, garlic, 2 springs of parsley, thyme, bay leaf and enough water (or water and wine) to cover the chicken. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is very tender, about an hour. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a sieve or colander into a large, clean bowl. Discard the vegetables.

Soup: Skim any fat off the top of the strained broth and discard. Slice the remaining carrots, celery, onions and leeks into 1/4 inch pieces and set aside. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken and use your hands to tear the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside. Melt the butter in the stockpot. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent - about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, the reserved broth, salt and pepper. Simmer the coup until the vegetables are tender - about 1 hour. Stir in the eg noodles and parley and cook until the noodles are tender - about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.