Homestyle Chicken Noodle Comfort

1. Prepare Chicken

Start by cutting your whole chicken into 7 pieces: 2 split breasts, 2 legs, 2 wings, and the backbone. This helps the chicken release more flavor into the stock.

2. Brown Chicken

In a large Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces, except for the breasts, and sauté until they are nicely browned. This browning step adds a rich depth to your stock. Once the chicken pieces are browned, set the chicken breasts aside to prevent them from overcooking.

3. Cook Onion

Next, add the chopped onion to the pot and cook until softened. This will take about 5 minutes.

4. Simmer Stock

Then, pour in the 8 cups of water, add the salt and bay leaves, and bring everything to a gentle simmer. This slow simmering process is key to extracting the maximum flavor from the chicken without making the stock cloudy.

5. Cook Chicken Breasts

Add the chicken breasts back into the pot and let them cook for about 20 minutes. Once they’re cooked through, remove them and continue simmering the stock for another hour, skimming any fat that rises to the surface.

6. Strain Stock

After an hour, strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer and set it aside.

7. Shred Chicken

While the stock is simmering, shred the cooked chicken breasts using two forks. This will make it easy to add the chicken back into the soup later.

8. Cook Vegetables

In a clean Dutch oven, heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil (or chicken fat) over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, sliced carrot, and celery rib. Cook until the vegetables are softened, which should take about 5-7 minutes.

9. Simmer Soup

Pour the strained stock back into the pot and bring it to a simmer.

10. Cook Noodles

Add the wide egg noodles and thyme to the pot and cook until the noodles are tender, about 8-10 minutes.

11. Finish Soup

Finally, stir in the shredded chicken and minced parsley. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

12. Serve Soup

Serve the soup immediately to enjoy the perfect texture of the noodles. This homestyle chicken noodle soup is sure to bring comfort and warmth to your table. Enjoy!