Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemon and Garlic

This is a winter comfort food, makes you feel like Mom's around.  I don't make my own chicken stock - a travesty, I know, sosumi.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemon and Garlic

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, well trimmed

3 quarts chicken broth - I like the Pacific Natural you can get at Costco

3 Tablespoons cornstarch or Wondra

1/4 cup water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

3 carrots, peeled, halved, then cut in 1/4 inch thick slices

3 ribs celery, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

3 small parsnips, peeled, halved, then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

zest of 1 small lemon

juice of 1 small lemon

8 ounces pasta (egg noodles, rotini, bowties, whatever you like)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large dutch oven, bring the chicken stock to a simmer (almost a boil).  Add the chicken breasts to the stock and cover.  Reduce heat slightly (so it won't boil), and let cook, covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove the chicken breasts from the broth and set aside.  Bring the broth to a boil.
2. In a medium saute pan, add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic.  Turn the heat to medium and saute until garlic and shallots are translucent.  Add the carrots, celery, parsnips, and lemon zest.  Saute 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat.
3. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water.  (I put them both in a tightly sealed Tupperware container and shake well.)  Stir the cornstarch mixture into the chicken broth.  Let cook for 10 minutes, until broth is slightly thickened.  Stir in the veggie mixture and reduce heat to just under a boil.  Let cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the pasta and let cook about 3 minutes less than the package says.  Shred the chicken breasts with 2 forks.  Stir the chicken breast and parsley into the soup.  Let cook 3 minutes, until chicken is reheated and flavors are blended.  Season with salt & pepper and serve immediately.

If you are going to serve this over multiple days,  divide the soup before you add the pasta, and add pasta only to the portion you plan to serve that night.  Add some chicken and parsley to the soup you plan to save, add pasta fresh the next time you serve it.  Otherwise, the pasta in the soup soaks up all the broth in the fridge and it gets really gooey.