Baked Stuffed Life: My Comfort Food

Vacations are over, August draws to a close and the kids are all back at school. The winds have begun to change, days are still warm but nights are getting cooler. The leaves will soon change. Farm stands are chuck full with local harvests and local food is at it's finest. I can smell the coming season as it begins to change and I'm excited for my favorite time of year to arrive. Fall is fantastic!! The food of the season is such a joy to cook and with Labor Day just around the corner I thought I'd get my Fall on by starting with a cozy and comforting soup that will satisfy the whole family.

I'm nutty over soup. I make all kinds of soup all year long but it's a frequent flyer in my house during the cooler months. My chicken soup recipe is a culmination of pieces and parts of the many different recipes I've tried over the years. I'd try a certain recipe and then I'd "fix" it the next time I tried it, or maybe utilize a technique from another recipe and add the two together and so on and so on and so on. What I've come up with is a base recipe. From here you can do anything and make anything to suit your taste. I've estimated measurements because I rarely measure anything when I cook. You should taste things as you go and adjust to your liking.

I have yet to have anyone who has tried this in my home turn down a second bowl! I hope you enjoy it!!

Here's what you will need:

1 rotisserie chicken, deboned, skin removed, chopped

3 boxes of chicken broth (I use fat free, low sodium)

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

1 tablespoon of dried basil

1/2-1 cup of Acini de Pepe or Pastina

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil for the pan

Here's what you do....

Add some olive oil to a large soup pot and set on the stove to heat up. Two or three turns around the pan should do. While the pan is heating up, chop your onions, carrots and celery.

Add your vegetables to the pan and cook on medium heat until softened up a bit, 10 minutes or so.

Add the oregano and basil to the pan and stir to combine.

Add the chicken broth to the pan, one box at a time, stir. Raise heat to high and allow the soup to reach a boil..

Add the pasta and stir. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

While I prefer to use Acini de Pepe, sometimes it isn't available. Pastina will do. If you prefer a larger pasta presence in your soup, use the pasta of your choice. However, keep in mind that larger pasta will soak up your broth and become mushy over time. If using a larger sized pasta, it's best to cook the pasta separately and add to individual bowls of soup as needed.