Chicken Soup Recipe for Colds

So I've caught the flu that's been going around at my workplace lately (boohoo) and I'm trying to speed up the healing process so I can go back to working at max health again. (Tomorrow is going to be a loooong work day!)

Anyway, found this recipe online at Food.com and decided to try it even though there's only like ONE review. And even though the reviewer rated it a 5-star recipe, the reviewer herself completely changed the recipe if you check her variation of the soup.

The recipe itself is great! I already linked the recipe but I shall post it on my blog again just in case I need it for future references and the site is down. I didn't follow the recipe to a T but it turned out GREAT anyway! I just eyeballed everything for the most part. Here's what I used:

Chicken Soup Recipe
5 pieces of skinless chicken (thighs and drums)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves
dash of dried rosemary (the recipe did not call for this but I like this spice)
dash of dried parsley (again, original called for fresh parsley but this was all I had)
1 chicken bouillon cube (or to taste)
celery
carrots
potato
1 cup fettuccine (or egg noodles)
lemon juice (or lime)

Directions:

1. 1  In a large pot add chicken, breast side down, onion, thyme, [rosemary & parsley], bay leaf, and garlic. Add enough water to cover; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the top and discard. Add chicken bouillon.
   
   
2. 2  Remove chicken from pot, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Skim fat from surface of soup, if desired, and discard. Remove meat from bones; discard skin and bones. Shred meat into bite-size pieces, and return to pot.
   
   
3. 3 Add celery, carrots, potato, egg noodles (or fettuccine) and parsley. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Squeeze fresh limejuice into soup and stir. Can also squeeze into individual bowls before serving.
   
   
   At first I forgot to add the lemon/lime juice and it turned out really good! However, the author of the recipe said that the garlic and lemon/lime are what really help with colds so I decided to add a tad bit of lemon juice to my serving of soup. 
   
   
   I thought it was a little overbearing and it changed the flavor of the soup quite drastically. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing since it was kind of too lemon-y for my taste. However, later on when I went to get a second serving (w/out lemon juice) I realized that I prefer the lemony taste after all! How surprising! Perhaps the tangy-ness of the lemon is what makes this recipe unique. I'd probably wouldn't add so much lemon the 2nd time round though.
   
   The spices in this recipe makes a huge difference in taste. I mean I use spices all the time but for some  reason I have never thought of using spices in chicken soup! I always thought that the chicken is a good enough base for that chicken-y taste. Dump some veggies into the soup, simmer to let all the flavors combine and "walah!" you get chicken soup. 
   
   Who knew that after simmering the chicken, garlic, and spices alone for 30 minutes, the soup was already tasting super good! Little discoveries like these makes me super happy because they make all the difference in getting that extra kick to make your meal go from good to yummilicious.
   
   Overall, I rate this recipe a 4.5/5. Not a 5/5 because it's quite a bit of hassle to make. Okay, but taste-wise it probably deserves a full 5 stars.
   
   Nevertheless, it's a really good and simple recipe and I simply cannot see how you can go wrong with this.  Definitely good for colds because it's not too heavy but not too bland either. 
   
   
   Very delicious imo. Will definitely make this again!