Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredience

1½ pounds bone-in chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed

½ teaspoon table salt, divided

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 cups chicken broth

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 celery rib, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

5 ounces spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces (1½ cups)

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Pokyny

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook chicken until well browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add broth, onion, carrot, celery, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until breasts register 160 degrees and/or thighs register at least 175 degrees, 14 to 17 minutes.

3. Remove pot from heat; discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Transfer chicken to plate and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones.

4. Return soup to boil over medium-high heat and add pasta. Cook, uncovered, until pasta is tender, 9 to 11 minutes, stirring often. Add chicken and parsley and cook until chicken is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Poznámky

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS There’s nothing more comforting when you’re feeling under the weather than a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup. This easy recipe is deeply flavorful and starts by browning bone-in chicken parts then simmering them in store-bought chicken broth, which created an intensely savory base. A standard mix of onion, celery, and carrot simmered with the chicken enhanced the broth’s richness. Though egg noodles are common in homemade chicken noodle soup, we preferred spaghetti broken into bite-size pieces that cooked right in the soup. The final product gave a nostalgic nod to canned versions but had loads more flavor.

If you prefer, 4 ounces (2 cups) of egg noodles can be substituted for the spaghetti. Fresh dill can be substituted for the parsley.