Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
This recipe guides you through preparing a comforting homemade chicken noodle soup, starting with making a rich chicken stock from scratch. You'll then sauté vegetables, combine them with the fresh stock, noodles, and shredded chicken for a classic, soul-warming dish.
Equipment
- 1 Large Soup Pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Strainer or Colander (for stock)
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
Main
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 medium carrots cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 2 celery ribs halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 quarts chicken stock recipe follows
- 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 whole free-range chicken about 3 1/2 pounds, rinsed, giblets discarded
- 2 carrots cut in large chunks
- 3 celery stalks cut in large chunks
- 2 large white onions quartered
- 1 head of garlic halved
- 1 turnip halved
- 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
Ensure vegetables for the soup base (onion, carrots, celery) are sweated gently over medium heat until tender but not browned to build a sweet, aromatic foundation. Avoid overcooking the egg noodles; add them just before the shredded chicken and simmer only until al dente. For maximum flavor extraction when making stock, start with cold water and simmer gently, never boiling aggressively. Season the final soup just before serving, as the stock and ingredients will contribute varying levels of salinity. A squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of apple cider vinegar at the end can brighten the flavors.