Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes About 4 Quarts Soup

1 chicken, left whole

4 1/2 quarts water

5 chicken bouillon cubes

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 cups of fettucini noodles, broken into 1" lengths (my favorite is garlic-parsley)

In a large pot, bring chicken, water, bouillon cubes, onion, bay leaves, pepper and sugar to a boil. Let boil for about 45 minutes or until chicken falls from bone easily. Remove chicken and set aside. Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer into a pot large enough to hold all the broth. Remove any grease that has formed on the top. Taste for flavor and add salt if needed.

Bring broth back to a boil. Drop the noodles in the boiling broth, stirring to separate noodles. Reduce heat and keep broth at slow boil, allowing noodles to cook.

Remove chicken from bones and discard bones and skin. Dice into large pieces and add to soup.

From Rosine's Cuisine by Renee M. Davi