Meatless Wednesdays

I've decided to start meatless Wednesdays as a means to not eat so much meat. If you know my husband, you know that for him, a meal isn't a "meal" without some meat! So, this is a slow adjustment :)

I decided to make homemade chicken broth, vegetable noodle soup. It was kind of an experiment for me since I had never done this before now. It was an adventure that turned out quite well! :)

Chicken broth

I took our 2 day old rotisserie chicken leftovers 

carrots
onions
celery salt [this was my celery substitute. If you have celery, use that instead]
salt
pepper
fresh thyme
oregano
red pepper flakes
basil
bay leaves
flour

Vegetable Noodle Soup
4 carrots
2 potatoes
2 small garlic, minced
1 onion
4 celery
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
pinch of pepper
pinch of salt
tsp oregano
tsp basil
tsp thyme
2 1/2 cup pasta

1. Take leftover chicken and cover with water. Place on medium heat over stove.

2. Add onions, carrots, and seasonings. [I really used whatever I had in the house at the time, really anything works for this part.] :)

3. Bring to a boil, add the flour [about 2 tbsp] & then let simmer for about 30-45 minutes.

4. Drain the chicken leftovers & vegetables into a large bowl.






5. Afterwards, strain the broth [with a smaller colander] to get rid of any excess meat.

6. Return the broth into the pot, keep on medium low.
[Or store in fridge until you're ready to make the vegetable soup.]

7.  Chop all of the potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, celery, and peppers.

* I had to show you my new favorite tool in the kitchen!

8. After you add all the vegetables and seasonings, cook on medium, let boil, then add the pasta and simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender & pasta is cooked all the way through.

9. Enjoy!










*This freezes well too :)