Love & Pesto: Chicken & Vegetable Noodle Soup

I thought that I would start my first post by giving my recipe for chicken & vegetable noodle soup, given the recent cooler weather we experienced this past week. It's perfect for those cool fall days when you want to curl up in a blanket, watch a classic movie (my favorites are anything with Audrey Hepburn, Carey Grant, or Humphrey Bogart), and indulge in a bowlful of warm soup.

Ingredients
*amounts of each ingredient may vary depending on your preference*

1 - 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery
1/4 - 1/2 onion, diced
2 cups chopped baby carrots
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 - 2/3 cup frozen organic sweet peas (optional) - I like them for the color and sweetness they give.
2/3 bag of egg noodles
1 container of organic, low-sodium chicken broth (you can make this yourself if you have the time)
2 large chicken breasts, cooked (Costco and the grocery store also have great roasted whole chickens that are perfect for adding to this soup if you are on a time constraint and want to speed up the preparation process)
Seasonings (amounts vary due to taste, but usually I put 1 - 1 1/2 tsp of each): cracked black pepper, ground coriander, italian seasoning blend, fresh rosemary, paprika and cheyenne pepper (a couple dashes of each)

1. Place a soup pot over medium heat with 1 - 2 tbs of olive oil and add spices. Next, add the celery and onion. Cook and stir until onions are slightly clear.

2. Add carrots to the celery and onion mixture. Then, add enough chicken broth to cover the vegetables. During this time, I always add a little more of my spices because I love the flavor. Bring to a boil. Once broth has started to boil, add the rest of the chicken broth and add 2 1/2 - 3 cups water. Boil until carrots are halfway cooked. Next, I add the diced tomatoes and chicken to soup. Let simmer for about 7-10 minutes until carrots are slightly soft. At this point, I always taste the broth to make sure my flavors have all come together.