Homemade Chicken Soup

Makes 6 servings

Alice Choi, who blogs at Hip Foodie Mom, has dubbed this family favorite her “lazy mom’s chicken noodle soup.” It’s flavorful and surprisingly simple to make — and it’s sure to get rave reviews from the kids. 1 1⁄4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat, cubed

4 to 5 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced or finely diced 8 to 9 cups of water plus more if needed

2 bay leaves

2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

1⁄2 pound rotini pasta

Fresh parsley for garnish

Using a large heavy-bottomed pot, dump in the chicken, carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Pour in the water; you want enough water to cover everything and rise up even more. This will become your chicken soup broth (plus you are adding the pasta later, so you want to make sure there's enough liquid).

Add bay leaves, thyme sprigs right on top, season with salt and pepper, give everything a good mix and then bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium-low and let simmer uncovered about 35 to 40 minutes.

After about 35 minutes, add uncooked pasta and let cook about 7 to 8 minutes. You can turn heat up a little higher if you need to. Mix together, taste and season with more salt and pepper. When ready to serve, remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!