Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Brown Chicken Breasts

Begin by heating a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large soup kettle over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers and just begins to smoke, add the chicken breast halves. Sauté them for about 5 minutes until they are browned on both sides. Once browned, remove the chicken breast halves and set them aside.

2. Sauté Onions and Chicken Pieces

Next, add half of the chopped onions to the kettle and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes until they are softened. Transfer these onions to a medium bowl. Proceed by sautéing half of the remaining chicken pieces for about 4 to 5 minutes, then transfer them to the bowl with the onions. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken pieces.

3. Simmer Chicken and Onions

Return all the sautéed onions and chicken pieces (excluding the breasts) back to the kettle. Reduce the heat to low, cover the kettle, and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes.

4. Add Boiling Water and Simmer

Increase the heat to high, then add the boiling water, chicken breasts, salt, and bay leaves to the kettle. Once it returns to a simmer, cover the kettle again and let it barely simmer for another 20 minutes.

5. Shred Chicken and Strain Broth

Remove the chicken breasts and let them cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Strain the broth to remove the bones, and skim any fat from the surface, reserving 2 tablespoons of the fat for later use.

6. Sauté Vegetables

Return the soup kettle to medium-high heat and add the reserved chicken fat along with the remaining onions, carrot, and celery. Sauté these vegetables for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

7. Simmer Soup

Add the dried thyme, the strained broth, and the shredded chicken back to the kettle. Allow the soup to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Cook Noodles and Serve

Finally, add the egg noodles and cook them for about 5 minutes until they are tender. Adjust the seasonings to taste, stir in the minced fresh parsley leaves, and serve the soup hot.