Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Sorry to all of you who read our blog more for the stories. I am pretty much storyless tonight. It just dawned on me that I told Mama I would post a recipe today and as I was winding down, getting ready for bed, I all of sudden remembered my promise.

Well, I suppose I can give a brief story about this recipe...

This soup was first made by my mother-in-law shortly after Brandon and I got married. We went to Thomaston to visit one cold, rainy, and, if my memory serves me correctly, snowy/icy weekend. My sister-in-law was sick as a dog and no one wanted to get out of the house, which made for a very lazy weekend. I can remember my MIL saying that she was going to make chicken noodle soup since Hallie was ill and the weather was cold and dreary. Admittedly, my first thought was "Chicken noodle soup--can you really beat Campbells'?!" Although I would never have said that out loud I now can admit that that's the opinion I formed before I even tried it.

After the soup was cooked and it came time to eat, I looked into the pot and had a second, very different thought. "Hmm, this doesn't look much like the canned chicken noodle soup I'm used to eating." Well, folks, my MIL proved wrong! In fact, it wasn't anything like Campbell's chicken noodle soup. It was ten times heartier and richer and mmm, mmm good!

Last night, another cold December night, I made and served this same soup to our Bible study group. It was just as delicious as the first time I ate it. Please try this recipe and I promise you won't be disappointed. And don't omit the lemon zest because you think it's weird...it adds a wonderful flavor and compliments the chicken and vegetables very nicely.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Kathy Berryhill

1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 large onion
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (~3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
3 (14 1/2 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (8 oz) pkg spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces (I used Garden Delight fettuccine as that's what I had on hand)
7 celery ribs, diced
6 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat (I used a large pot.); add onion, and saute` until tender. Stir in chicken and next 9 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in milk; return to simmer. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.
Yield:  12 cups

Enjoy!

Marie