cold combatting chicken soup

a warm hug on a cold day

chicken soup cures colds. isn't that what they say? maybe you heard it from your parents or grandparents or a campbell's soup commercial.. but does a hot bowl of chicken soup truly have magical healing powers? luckily, scientists from the university of nebraska medical center embarked on a search for the truth.

turns out... several ingredients in chicken soup affect the body's immune system. it has anti-inflammatory properties that could explain why it soothes sore throats. it also helps stop the movement of neutrophils, which is a fancy work for white blood cells that eat up bacteria released with many viruses. these neutrophils usually bring on lots of mucous, which may be the cause of those awful coughs and stuffy noses.

science aside...

chicken soup also mends broken hearts and erases bad days.

magical chicken soup

(this homemade classic is so fast, easy, and affordable, you may never open a can of chicken soup again)

PREP 10 mins
TOTAL 30 mins
FEEDS 6 sniffling students

you need this stuff:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast,

        cooked & cut into bite size pieces

1 cup frozen peas

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. thyme

a little salt and pepper
1 cup rotini pasta noodles, uncooked

heat all ingredients except pasta in a large pot, covered & boiling

stir in pasta

heat to boiling, stirring occassionally

reduce heat

uncover & simmer until pasta and veggies are tender

get creative...
try adding other veggies like mushrooms or green onions?
or try using angel hair or egg noodles?

how about adding 1 chile pepper or red pepper flakes for extra bite?