Lots of carrots and parsnips give old-favorite chicken noodle soup a sweet savor. To balance this effect, use the optional parsley, which is just slightly bitter.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts canned low-sodium MSG-free chicken broth or homemade stock
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
4 parsnips, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3)
1 cup wide egg noodles (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

(As always, for the very healthiest versions of any recipe choose organic content as much as possible.)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, combine the broth, onion, carrots, parsnips, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts to the pot and simmer until just done, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken; bring the soup back to a simmer. When the chicken breasts are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-size pieces.

2. Meanwhile, stir the noodles into the soup. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the noodles are done, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken pieces to the pot and then stir in the dill and the parsley.

Variations:

*Skip the parsnips and raise the number of carrots to eight.
*Add one diced turnip to the mix.
*Use bone-in chicken breasts and cook them for an additional ten minutes. The extra time in the pot will give the soup even more flavor.

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