No-Chicken Noodle Soup - it's convalesilicious

Yeah, I know, like you need a recipe. But in case you're not great at coming up with your own step-by-steps, or you just don't like to think, I present to you my imprecise yet fool-proof recipe for flavorful, chickeny, virus-fighting vegan chicken noodle soup.

Of course, you can use any kind of chicken substitute and stock you wish, but I highly recommended Better Than Bullion's No-Chicken Stock, which comes in a little jar at Whole Foods and places like that. And for the chicken, nothing is better than Morningstar's " chik'n " strips, which unlike many Morningstar products, are vegan.



This recipe makes a few helpings for 4 people. You'll need:

- 2 quarts of water
- 1 package Morningstar Farms Chickeny Chikkers strips (not really called that. In the freezer section)
- About half a big white onion, chopped
- A few cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tbs dried parsley (or replace with about half a bunch of fresh parsley
- 3-5 carrots, according to preference, cut into thin rounds
- 3-5 celery stalks, chopped
- Soup noodles - not good at measuring this, so I'll just say, as much as you think is appropriate
- Black pepper, maybe some salt

Directions:

1. Bring your stockpot to boil with the water, onion, garlic, and a few tbs of stock-goo (might want a little more than the jar tells you to use for two quarts of water; taste it as you go).

2. While the stockpot boils, you can make the pasta and "chicken." The chicken strips should be sauteed in a pan in a little oil until they really start to brown. Remember, it's not actually meat, so don't worry about them getting overcooked. As they get soft in the pan, you can break them up into smaller, more soup-appropriate pieces. When they're ready, you can put them right in the soup. They'll benefit from cooking in the stock as long as possible.

3. Cook the pasta until it's just a little too al dente. Cover it, but don't worry about it getting cold; it'll finish cooking and heat up again in the soup. As for types, I highly recommend any small, curly, hollow noodles. The holes fill up with broth when you eat the soup, which is delicious. I don't remember the name of my favorite, but you can see it, along with a piece of fuseli, below.



3. Once the soup boils, add the dried herbs and the carrots and simmer for about 5 minutes (if using fresh parsley, don't add it yet).

4. The chickens should be in by now. You can add the celery at this point and simmer the soup for 5-10 more minutes. It's really about your preference for how crunchy the carrots and celery are.



5. Duing the last few minutes of cooking, throw in the pasta. Taste a piece to make sure it has been cooked to your desired consistently.

6. Just before you turn off the heat, stir in sprigs of fresh parsley (if using). Serve and eat while watching cartoons.

Here you see my friend and roommate Klaus eating his soup in the comfort of our disgusting living room.



All gone!