Description
A classic homemade chicken noodle soup featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs, savory broth infused with fresh aromatics, and chewy egg noodles. Perfectly comforting and nutritious, this soup is ideal for cozy dinners or meal prepping.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 2-1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 celery ribs, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Broth and Noodles
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups uncooked kluski or other egg noodles (about 8 ounces)
Final Touches
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Optional: Additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare and Brown Chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat canola oil in a 6-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches and cook until dark golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove chicken and set aside, discarding all but 2 tablespoons of drippings.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Add chopped onion to the reserved drippings and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring.
- Add Broth and Deglaze: Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen browned bits for extra flavor.
- Simmer Chicken with Vegetables: Return the browned chicken to the pot along with chopped celery, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Remove Chicken and Add Noodles: Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the pot from heat. Add uncooked egg noodles to the soup and cover, letting them stand until tender, about 20-22 minutes. For best texture when storing leftovers, cook noodles separately and add before serving.
- Shred Chicken Meat: Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and shred into bite-sized pieces. Discard bones.
- Finish Soup: Return shredded chicken to the pot, discard bay leaves, and stir in fresh parsley and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- You don’t need a whole chicken to make homemade chicken noodle soup; bone-in thighs provide excellent flavor.
- For leftovers, cook noodles separately to prevent them from becoming mushy as they absorb broth.
- Save the chicken bones to make homemade chicken stock for future recipes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 239
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1176mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 68mg
