Chicken Minestrone Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs
8 cups water
celery & leaves
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup acini di pepe pasta
3 cups celery, Chopped
3 cups carrots, Chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 (11 1/2 ounce) cans V8 vegetable juice
1 cup parmesan cheese, Shredded

Preparation

In dutch oven, combine chicken, water and baby celery w/leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 4-5 hours. (This first step can be done in the crock pot, and you don't need quite as much water.) Remove chicken and celery from water. Discard skin, bones & celery. Tear chicken apart. Set aside.
If desired, remove some or all of the fat from water. If needed, add water and boullion cube to make 5 cups broth.
In small saucepan, boil 1/2 cup Acini di Pepe Pasta in water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Combine all ingredients but the pasta and cheese in a dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer for 30 minutes adding in the pasta in the last 5 minutes.
Top each 1 cup serving with 1 Tbsp of Shredded Parmesan Cheese.