I don’t know about your office, but everyone here at the newspaper is stocking up on vitamin C, cold-prevention remedies and anti-microbial tissues.

I don’t really buy into all those products. I try to eat well, take my vitamins, and drink plenty of water — and wash my hands! Still, despite one’s best intentions, you can still catch one of the season’s bugs, and there’s not much you can do to treat the common cold. Or is there?

It turns out that your grandma was right. While not a cure for the cold, research has found that chicken soup can alleviate some of your symptoms.

Chicken contains an amino acid that can help thin the mucus in your lungs, making it easier to cough out. Chicken vapors (from the hot stock) are actually more effective than hot water vapors in clearing out the cold in your nose.

Carrots are one of the best sources around of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in your system and helps to prevent and fight off infection. And onions contain an antioxidant that is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. Plus, chicken soup is just plain comforting.

My sweetie and my baby boy both fell ill recently, and I was requested to make some homemade chicken soup. Did it help? Well, they’re both healthy now!

Like I said with my roast chicken recipe, don’t be afraid of the whole chicken. And just think, you’re not only making your soup from scratch — you now know how to make chicken stock, which translates into lots of delicious soup recipes this winter. Soup’s on!

Rachel Chaddock can be reached by email at rachels.recipes@yahoo.com.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

1 3- to 4-pound whole chicken

1 quart chicken stock

2 quarts water

2 medium onions, peeled and quartered

2 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths

2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths

6 sprigs fresh thyme

6 stems flat leaf parsley

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup sliced carrots

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 pound dried egg noodles

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out.

Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with the chicken stock and the water. Add the onion quarters, carrots and celery, thyme, parsley stems, and the bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil, partially cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the chicken should easily pull away from the bones.

Using tongs, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside until it is cool enough to handle. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-meshed sieve, lined with cheesecloth. Discard the vegetables and reserve the stock. Pull the chicken meat off the bones, discarding the bones, skin, and any fat. Shred the meat and set it aside. 

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cooked chicken. Add reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Add the egg noodles and simmer until noodles are cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

Serves 10-12.