Soup on the floor!

I jostled the soup bowl. A little spilled. So I set the bowl on the counter to wipe the floor. Unfortunately, I placed the full bowl too close to the edge and it upended and tumbled in a slow-motion ballet of impending disaster.

Splat. Soup and china shards, spread wide over the floor.

Naturally, the paper towel dispenser was empty. Life's funny, especially when you're in the middle of a "Three Stooges" short.

Floor mopped. Replacement bowl mail-ordered. Now I have an excuse to share the recipe for my quick, almost-homemade chicken soup. It's so fast and so good - and if your kids are anything like mine, you won't be opening cans of soup anytime in the near future. They prefer this over cans, hands down.

The secret weapons are a mirepoix of carrots, celery and onion, fresh herbs, off-the-shelf soup stock and boneless chicken breast. Sautéeing the mirepoix in oil softens the vegetables, trimming time off the total recipe. Serves four. About 20 minutes prep time.

Ingredients

2 carrots
2 ribs celery
1 small onion*
1 clove garlic*
Fresh thyme and parsley
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces
Wide egg noodles
Olive oil

*Optional

In a saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté in about a tablespoon of olive oil
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 small onion, diced

Turn the heat down low, cover pot and let them cook without browning.

Add
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
A bundle of fresh thyme stalks and parsley sprigs OR 1/2 tsp. dry thyme.

Saute briefly, then increase heat and add 1 quart low-sodium stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Set timer for 15 minutes.

Slice the chicken breast into bite-size pieces and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

When 15 minutes have passed, add the seasoned chicken pieces and simmer one minute longer.

Add
1 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped or 1 tsp. dry

Turn off heat and cover pot. Let stand five minutes. Adjust salt and pepper and serve with crusty bread.