Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large stockpot (10-quart minimum)
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Slotted spoon or spider strainer
• •Large rimmed baking sheet
• •Ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Start with cold water

   Place the whole chicken breast-side up in your largest stockpot. Cover with five quarts of cold water. This is not negotiable. Cold water extracts proteins slowly, allowing impurities to coagulate and rise as foam rather than dispersing throughout your broth. Hot water shocks the proteins and clouds everything. The water should cover the bird by at least two inches.

   Remove the chicken from refrigeration thirty minutes before starting. A warmer bird heats more evenly and produces cleaner broth.
2. 2

   Bring to a bare simmer

   Set the pot over medium-high heat. Watch it closely as the water approaches a simmer. Within fifteen to twenty minutes, gray foam will begin rising to the surface. This is albumin, blood proteins, and other impurities you do not want in your soup. Skim it away patiently with a large spoon or ladle until the foam turns white and less frequent. This process takes ten to fifteen minutes of attention. Do not let the pot reach a rolling boil.

3. 3

   Add aromatics for the stock

   Once skimmed, add the quartered onions, celery pieces, carrot pieces, halved garlic head, peppercorns, thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, bay leaves, and one tablespoon of kosher salt. Reduce heat until you see only the laziest bubbles rising every few seconds. A single bubble breaking the surface every three or four seconds is perfect. A vigorous boil emulsifies the fat and produces cloudy, greasy stock.

   Leave celery leaves attached. They contain more flavor than the stalks and add beautiful depth to the stock.
4. 4

   Simmer until the chicken surrenders

   Let the stock simmer uncovered for one and a half to two hours. The chicken is done when the leg joint moves freely in its socket and the meat pulls away from the bone with minimal resistance. The skin will appear loose and papery, the breast meat visibly pulled back from the breastbone. The kitchen will smell like everything good in the world. Remove from heat.

5. 5

   Remove and shred the chicken

   Using two large slotted spoons or a spider strainer, carefully transfer the chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet. It will be fragile and falling apart. Let it cool for fifteen minutes until you can handle it. Remove and discard the skin. Pull the meat from the bones in generous shreds, following the natural grain of the muscle. You should have about four cups of meat. Reserve the bones for another stock if you're frugal, or discard.

6. 6

   Strain and evaluate the stock

   Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large clean pot or heatproof container. Strain the stock, pressing gently on the spent vegetables to extract their liquid but not so hard that you force solids through. Discard the vegetables. You should have about three and a half quarts of beautiful golden stock. Taste it. It should be deeply chickeny with a silky, slightly viscous quality from the gelatin. If it tastes thin, you can reduce it later.

   For the clearest stock, strain through cheesecloth after the initial straining. This extra step produces restaurant-quality clarity.
7. 7

   Build the soup base

   Wipe out your stockpot and return it to medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt and foam. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent but not browned, about five minutes. The onion should look glassy and smell sweet. Add the sliced celery and carrot coins. Cook another three minutes, stirring, until they begin to soften at the edges.

8. 8

   Simmer the vegetables

   Pour in the strained stock. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let the vegetables cook until tender but not mushy, twelve to fifteen minutes. A knife should slide through a carrot coin with slight resistance. They will continue cooking, so err on the side of firmness. Taste the broth now and add salt as needed. It likely needs more than you think.

9. 9

   Cook the noodles

   Add the egg noodles directly to the simmering soup. Stir immediately to prevent sticking. Cook until the noodles are tender but retain pleasant resistance when you bite through, eight to ten minutes depending on the noodle width. Wide noodles catch more broth and create a more satisfying bite. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking.

   If making ahead or freezing, cook noodles separately and add to individual portions. Otherwise they swell overnight and absorb all your precious broth.
10. 10

    Finish and serve

    Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir gently to distribute. Heat through for two to three minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the chopped dill, parsley, and lemon juice. The herbs should stay bright green and the lemon should lift everything without tasting citrusy. Taste once more and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into deep bowls and serve immediately with good crusty bread for dipping.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out a stewing hen from your butcher if possible. These older birds have more collagen and deeper flavor than young fryers. They cost less and make better soup. This is one time when cheaper is actually better.
• •The fat that rises to the surface during simmering is pure liquid gold. Skim some of it off and save it in a jar. Schmaltz, as it's properly called, makes the finest fried potatoes and matzo balls you'll ever taste.
• •If your broth lacks body, the problem is usually that you boiled instead of simmered, or you didn't cook long enough. Gelatin extraction requires time and gentle heat. A rolling boil breaks down the collagen too quickly.
• •A squeeze of lemon juice at the end is the secret most home cooks miss. Add it to the pot, not individual bowls, so it integrates throughout. The acid brightens every flavor without tasting lemony.
• •For deeper color, roast the chicken carcass at 400°F for thirty minutes before making stock. This adds another hour to your process but creates magnificent amber broth.

Advance Preparation

• •The stock can be made up to five days ahead and refrigerated. The fat will solidify on top, forming a protective seal. Scrape it off before reheating, or stir it back in for richness.
• •Completed soup without noodles freezes beautifully for up to three months. Portion into quart containers, leaving one inch of headspace. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and add freshly cooked noodles when reheating.
• •Shredded chicken can be prepared alongside the stock and refrigerated separately for three days. This allows you to control how much meat goes into each serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 350g)