Joan's Chicken Soup

This is the chicken soup I grew up with – the one my mom made anytime anyone sneezed. It's still my favorite chicken soup in the world. It's a very easygoing soup, so feel free to play with it. If you have extra chicken pieces in the freezer (especially backs and necks), throw them in and increase the water accordingly, but don't worry about exact amounts. My mom never measured any of it. She never put garlic in hers, but I often do, especially if someone's under the weather – in that case, I use a whole head. (You might want to use less.) Sometimes I add a leek, or a handful of parsley. As for noodles, my mom always used fine egg noodles, never the wide ones. Usually I follow suit, but now and then I want the fat ones.

Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients

A 4- to 5-pound chicken, including the back and neck, cut into pieces

1 medium onion, diced