Acini Di Pepe Chicken Soup -- Mmm Mmm Home Made

I recently discovered Acini Di Pepe pasta and fell in love with these little dots of goodness. I began to experiment with them in my recipes and found they were very versitle. One of those recipes is perfect for those rainy Autumn days and I would like to share it with you. It's called Acini Di Pepe Chicken Soup (oddly enough). OK, I could have come up with a fancier name; however, I'll let these little pasta pebbles speak for themselves.

I want to let you know that this soup is made from scratch, right down to the chicken stock. Don't be scared away, however. There is nothing complicated about this soup. It is simply a hearty and warming soup, perfect if you're fighting a cold; it will surely snap it out of you. This recipe comes in two parts. First, we have to make our chicken stock and second, we proceed with the soup. Let's start with the chicken stock. I will not complicate the making of this stock, as I like to keep it simple. You will need:

One fresh whole chicken (cut up, but don't include the breast)
10 cups of water
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of sage

In a large pot, add the chicken, water, and herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook covered for about an hour or until chicken falls off the bone. Remove the chicken and set in a bowl to cool. Using a tightly woven strainer, strain the chicken stock into another pot. Continue to heat on low setting.

Once the chicken has cooled enough for you to handle it, begin to debone, discarding the skin and fat and adding the meat to your stock. Now get your ingredients together for the completion of the soup:

1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of Acini Di Pepe pasta (can be found in most supermarkets)
1 1/2 cups of peas
1 teaspoon of Dijon style mustard
1/2  teaspoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Add all the ingredients to the stock, except the pasta. Stir and mix well, then taste for flavor. If you like it a bit saltier, go ahead and add more salt. Cover and slow cook for about 20 minutes. Then add the pasta, stir and cook covered for an additional 15 minutes. Check pasta for doneness, check for flavor and if satisfied, shut heat off and set aside covered for 5 more minutes and serve. I think you will really like this chicken soup. Have it with a nice crusty baguette of French bread and enjoy!