Ingredients
Chicken Noodle Soup
- 1 (4-pound; 1.8kg) whole chicken
- 3 quarts (2.8L) cold or room-temperature homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 medium cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large carrot (8 ounces; 230g), diced
- 1 medium turnip (7 ounces; 200g), peeled and diced
- 1 medium yellow onion (9 ounces; 250g) or large leek (white and light-green parts only), diced
- 1 large parsnip (10 ounces; 285g), peeled and diced
- 2 medium ribs celery (5 ounces; 150g), diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Minced fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley, or other fresh herbs, to finish
- Egg noodles
Directions
Chicken Noodle Soup
- Using a sharp knife, cut chicken breasts from breastbone and detach chicken legs from carcass. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cover chicken breasts, legs, and carcass with stock. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Heat stock over medium-high heat until temperature reaches between 150°F and 160°F (66 and 71°C) on an instant-read thermometer; adjust heat to maintain stock temperature in the 150°F–160°F range. It's okay if the temperature bounces around a little, but try to keep it above 150 and below 170°F (77°C).
- Cook until thickest part of chicken breasts registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. Remove chicken breasts and set aside.
- Bring soup to a simmer and continue cooking for 1 hour longer, skimming as needed.
- Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Remove all chicken from pot.
- Pull meat from bones, shredding it into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones. If broth is cloudy, you can strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to clarify it.
- Return all chicken to pot except breast meat and return to a simmer.
- Add diced carrot, turnip, onion (or leek), parsnip, and celery and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add your noodle according to their cooking time on the bag.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add minced fresh herbs and remove from heat. Dice chicken breasts and stir into soup along with any accumulated juices. Serve hot.