A simple, delicious homemade chicken noodle soup.

Sometimes you just want a simple, cozy bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Just the Recipe | 6 Servings

2 Tbs. Oil or Butter

3 or 4 Chicken Thighs (bone-in, skin-on)

1 Onion

2 Carrots

2 Celery

1 Bunch Parsley

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 Bag of Egg Noodles

Optional: Parmesan Rinds

Salt & Pepper

Steps

Season the chicken: Pull the skin back on the chicken thighs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the skin back over the thighs and set aside. This can be done up to 24 hours in advance.
Prepare the vegetables:
- Peel the onion and cut it in half.
- Peel the carrots and cut off the tops and bottoms.
- Wash the celery and cut off the tops and bottoms.
- Cut the carrots and celery in half with a wide, diagonal slice in the middle (see photo above for reference).
- Wash the parsley and pat dry. Take a small amount and dice the leaves for serving and set aside. The rest will go in the soup.
Start the soup:
- Add the oil or butter to a heavy bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven and turn the heat to medium-high. When hot, add the chicken skin side down and sear for about 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, flip the chicken and continue to sear for another few minutes.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add 6 cups of water, or more, to fully cover the chicken and vegetables.
- Add in the parmesan rinds (if using), bunch of parsley and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil. Turn down so it lightly boils and cover. Cook for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the noodles:
- In a separate large pot, boil salted water.
- Cook the noodles according to the package to al dente. When done, drain and rinse lightly, then set aside.
Finish the soup (use tongs for the below steps):
- Turn the temperature to low.
- Remove the chicken thighs and allow to cool.
- Remove the parsley, bay leaf and parmesan rinds (if used) and toss.
- Remove the celery, onion halves, and carrots and add to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the broth and carefully blend into a puree. Add the pureed veggies back to the broth and stir.
- Taste and season accordingly.
- Remove the chicken skin from the cooled thighs and dispose. Using forks, pull the cooked chicken meat off the bones. Dispose of the bones. Dice the chicken meat and add back to the soup.
Serve:
- Add a handful of the cooked noodles to a bowl.
- Ladle a few scoops of the soup over the noodles
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- For an extra rich soup, add a small pat of good quality butter to the soup and stir, as it melts, to combine.

Kitchen Acumen Tips:

Variations:
- Chicken Potato Soup. Instead of noodles, add a diced baked or boiled potato.
- Chicken Rice Soup. Instead of noodles, add pre-cooked rice.
- Asian Chicken Noodle Soup.
  - Use sesame oil instead of olive oil.
  - Garnish with diced green onions instead of parsley (use the parsley in the soup).
  - Use a ramen or rice noodle.
Feel free to substitute leeks instead of an onion. The green parts of a leek are tough, cut them off and dispose of instead of blending into the puree.
Add dill, in addition to the parsley, to the soup while it simmers.
Store noodles separately from the soup - this will keep the starches from breaking down and help the leftovers to taste as good as the first day they were made.