Saturday was cold and rainy. After a busy morning wrangling 4 kids into smiling for photos, it was a good afternoon to stay home. The kids were content to run around, play video classic games, and attack each other with foam dart guns. Therefore, except for being needed as an occasional referee, I had time to make a slower meal.

Soup seemed like a good choice, seeing that I had a lot of cooked chicken on hand. The kids were excited to have hot dogs and chips for dinner (an exciting Saturday meal for those under the age of 11). So, I decided that our soup could have more exotic ingredients that would tempt the palates of the adults in our home.

Browsing the produce section of the grocery store, my soup began to take shape. I found some scallions that would give a nice crunch and flavor to the soup. Carrots seemed like a good vegetable to add substance. Finally, I found dried shiitake mushrooms to add an Asian flair to the soup. Instead of regular noodles, I purchased Chinese egg noodles. It was time to head home, start the soup’s simmering, and fill our house with the warmth and aromas of soup.

For a different take on chicken soup, try my recipe for crockpot chicken taco soup.