Awesome Cold Killing Chicken Soup

Okay so I spoke too soon earlier this week, we've had a plague relapse around here and I'm so sick of being sick. So yesterday afternoon I whipped up some positively delicious chicken soup that is doing it's darnest to get me well!

Carin's Cold Killer Chicken Soup
This recipe serves 4 but can easily be doubled.

1 package Matzo Ball mix
1 1/2 containers 32 oz chicken broth
2-3 shallots minced
3 garlic cloves finely minced (you can omit or reduce the number of cloves depending on your garlic tolorance. The boiling of the soup really mellows out the taste of the garlic and gives great flavor)
1/3 - 1/2 cup fresh finely chopped parsley
6-7 baby carrots or 1 large carrot finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh finely chopped rosemary (forget the knife I use kitchen scissors for this- easy!)
The zest and juice of 1 lemon, mince lemon zest super fine.
1 cup finely chopped or shredded chicken breast. (I used left over roasted chicken)
1 cup whole wheat rotini pasta. (I used Barilla Plus Pasta for this recipe)


DIRECTIONS

1. Make up the matzo ball mix per mix instructions up to the point of cooking the matzo balls. I make mini matzo balls, making the raw matzo balls no larger than a quarter in diameter.

2. All other ingredients except for the pasta go into a large saucepot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in pasta and raw matzo balls turn down heat to medium and let matzo balls and pasta cook for about 12-15 minutes.

3. Once matzo balls and pasta are cooked the soup is ready to eat. The matzo balls will be floating on top when done. If you want to really be decadent add a spoonful of goat cheese chevre over the top for a creamy yummyness to your soup.

4. The soup can easily be stored in the fridge or frozen. When you rewarm the soup you may need to add some more chicken stock or broth to the soup as pasta and matzo balls act like sponges with the remaining soup broth.

For the 15-20 minutes of chopping and making matzo balls it sooooo well worth it when you taste it. Nothing from a can could ever compare. Enjoy! Let me know how you like it!