Gluten Free Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

3 chicken breasts (w/bone optional), 1 cup chopped onions (vadalia), 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 cup 4 cloves garlic, 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, 2 cups uncooked brown rice penne, 4 cups chicken broth (low fat/ sodium), 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 4 cups water, salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onions in oil for 5 minutes. Next, add carrots, celery, garlic, parsley and crushed red pepper (pinch of salt and black pepper). Sautee for another 7 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. (Keep a lid on the pan between stirring.) Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Place chicken breasts into the pot. Cook on low to medium for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the pasta to the pot and cook on low-medium for 10 more minutes. Stir occasionally so that the noodles don't stick to the bottom. Simmer for as long as desired. The more it simmers the more the flavors marry. Pull the chicken apart in the pot with a fork. It will shred with ease.

Note: You may use chicken with the bone if desired. Discard the bone once you've shredded the chicken. Cooking with the bone adds extra chicken flavor. This is a low-sodium recipe. You may add extra salt if you wish. I use fine sea salt with my pinch of salt.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user QUEENIESAL.