Although my mother hated to cook, she did have a few dishes that she almost enjoyed making, ones that I truly enjoyed eating. Top on that list was chicken noodle soup. Brimming with plump egg noodles, tender chunks of chicken and colorful bits of carrots, this velvety soup was the epitome of comfort food.

For years I asked for my mother’s chicken noodle soup recipe. I even gave her various ways to share it. She could recite the ingredients and measurements; I’d write them down. She could make the soup as I watched; I’d take notes while she cooked. Invariably, she would be too busy, in no mood to cook or not have the ingredients. However, if I wanted to take a few containers of frozen chicken noodle soup that she happened to have on hand, well, that would be fine.

It took me a while to realize that she wanted to make this soup for me. Giving away the recipe would be giving away this gift forever. She was not about to do that. It was only when I reached my late 20s and she had reached the late stages of cancer that she wrote down and sent the recipe to me. I still have it tucked into the dog-eared pages of her Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.

Two soups, two recipes

Because my husband no longer eats meat, I have changed the original recipe quite a bit. Other than the presence of carrots, celery and onion—your classic mirepoix—and egg noodles, it has become a different dish. For the sake of comparison and for those who don’t eat meat, I’ve included both in this entry. Take a little comfort from them. Stay home! Stay well! Make soup!

My Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 6 to 8

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup chopped white onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped carrots

1 teaspoon salt

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 to 1 1/2 cups dried egg noodles

In a stockpot filled with boiling water, cook the chicken breasts for approximately 40 minutes, until fork tender or a digital instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken, allow it to cool slightly and then separate it into bite-sized pieces.

Place the onions, celery, carrots and salt in the cooking water/chicken broth and bring the ingredients to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. At this point stir in the cans of cream of chicken soup. You also may need to add more water. You want this to be soupy and not overly thick.

Bring a separate pan filled with salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain the noodles and add them to the soup, stirring to combine. The noodles will finish cooking in the hot soup. Remove from heat. Wait 5 minutes and serve.

My Corn Noodle Soup

Makes approximately 2 quarts

2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable or chicken stock

1 (15-ounce) can of corn

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced

1 medium white onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

5 cups frozen or fresh corn

1 1/2 cups egg noodles

In a large stockpot bring the vegetable or chicken stock to a boil. As the stock is heating, place the can of corn and its liquid into the bowl of a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add this to the stock.

Heat the olive oil in a small sauté or frying pan. Add the celery, onion and carrots and sauté until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vegetables and corn to the stock. Allow the ingredients to cook over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until aromatic and flavorful. If the soup has cooked down too much, add more water.

As the soup finishes cooking, bring a pan filled with salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse and add the noodles to the soup. Stir the ingredients together, taste the soup and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.