Ingredients
Preparation
25 minutes 2 hours 10 minutes The chicken stock—and soup—is extra rich because it calls for both a whole raw chicken plus additional chicken parts, like bone-in chicken breasts, thighs, or legs. All the meat goes into a soup pot or large Dutch oven together with some celery, and you simmer it on the stovetop until it has released its flavor and fat. The whole chicken comes out (so the meat doesn’t overcook), and you simmer the remaining chicken parts until the chicken broth is fully flavored. Use the cook time to remove the meat from the whole bird; you’ll add the diced or shredded chicken back to the pot, along with wide egg noodles, matzo balls, or rice. For the best chicken noodle soup, we like to cook the pasta separately and add it to each serving so that it maintains an al dente texture. If you’re planning to eat the soup all in one go, though, feel free to cook the noodles in the broth. This is a pretty simple, easy recipe, so if you like adding other flavors to your soup, you can adapt the basic idea to suit your tastes. You could add a bay leaf or some fresh thyme or fresh parsley to the broth when you add the vegetables, serve it with a squeeze of lemon juice, or add a little garlic to boost the soup’s healing properties. You could even take an Italian approach by seasoning the broth with some oregano and adding some store-bought tortellini for a slightly less classic chicken noodle soup.
Step 2
Add the chicken to the pot, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Test chicken with a fork to see if it’s tender and fully cooked; then remove it from the pot, and set aside on a large platter. Leave chicken parts in the pot.
Step 3
Add onion, carrot, parsnip, salt, and pepper. Let soup simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Step 4
When chicken cools, remove skin and bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. You can add it to the soup, just before serving, or save it for chicken salad.
Step 5
Strain the broth, and discard everything solid except for the carrot.
Step 6
Drop in the dill for a minute before serving and remove. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slice carrot and toss into soup along with the diced chicken if desired. Add cooked noodles, rice, kasha, or matzo balls, if using. Editor’s note: This recipe first appeared on Epicurious in August 2014. Head this way for more of our comfort food favorites →
