The Ultimate KettleSide Comfort SlowSimmered Chicken Soup with Silky Egg Noodles

Slowsimmered Chicken Soup

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Preparation time:35 Mins

Cooking time:02 Hrs 45 Mins

Servings:6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs/drumsticks
• 1 lb chicken carcass or backs (optional)
• 1 large yellow onion, halved with skin
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 12 cups cold water
• 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt (for initial stock seasoning)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely diced carrots and celery (fresh mirepoix)
• 8 oz medium width egg noodles
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken meat
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:

• Combine the chicken pieces/bones, halved onion, rough-chopped carrots and celery, garlic, thyme, and peppercorns into the stockpot. Cover completely with cold water.
• Bring the mixture slowly to a low boil. Immediately reduce heat to the lowest setting (a gentle simmer). Use a slotted spoon to meticulously skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface during the first 30 minutes.
• Season the stock lightly with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover partially and let it simmer gently for a minimum of 2 hours, up to 2.5 hours, for maximum flavour extraction.
• Carefully remove all solids from the stock using a slotted spoon. Pour the remaining liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot to create the clarified chicken stock.
• Remove the cooked chicken meat from the bones, discarding skin and bones. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and reserve about 2 cups for the final soup assembly.
• In the now-clean stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the finely diced fresh carrots and celery (mirepoix). Sauté gently for 5–7 minutes until softened.
• Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste, creating a light roux.
• Slowly whisk in the reserved strained chicken stock, ensuring no lumps form. Bring the mixture back up to a gentle simmer. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
• Add the egg noodles to the simmering broth. Cook according to package directions until they reach an al dente texture (usually 6–10 minutes).
• Stir in the reserved shredded chicken during the last 2 minutes of cooking to heat through. Stir in the fresh parsley and lemon juice (if using). Ladle immediately into warm bowls and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories:739 kcal

Protein:14.7 g

Fat:37.6 g

Carbs:52.2 g

Fiber:8.7 g

Sugar:0.0 g

Sodium:271 mg

Recipe Info

Category:Soup

Cuisine:American

The Definitive Bowl: Why This Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles Stands Apart

Right then, settle in, grab your favourite apron—we’re diving into a classic that’s the culinary equivalent of a warm hug after a brisk walk on a chilly Sunday. There’s nothing quite like a proper Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles to sort you right out. This recipe elevates the humble chicken noodle soup from simple remedy to truly magnificent meal. We build a deeply flavourful broth using slow-simmered bones and aromatics, resulting in a liquid gold that coats every strand of our homemade (or high-quality store-bought) egg noodles. It’s rich, deeply savoury, and perfectly seasoned—exactly what you crave when the weather turns or when you simply need a bit of traditional TLC in a bowl. Forget those watery supermarket versions; this is the real deal. Achieving this level of comforting depth is classified as a Medium difficulty—not because the active steps are hard, but because truly superb broth demands patience. This entire process, from prep to perfect serving, takes roughly 3 hours and 20 minutes, yielding 6 generous servings that will warm you from the inside out.

Beyond the Can: Unpacking the Soul of Our Broth

The distinction between an adequate soup and an unforgettable one lies entirely beneath the surface—in the liquid foundation. When crafting our Homemade Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles , we are not simply boiling chicken; we are extracting collagen, fat, minerals, and deep, savory character from the bones and connective tissues. This process transforms water into a silken, nourishing elixir.

A Recipe Forged in Comfort and Tradition

Our blueprint calls for 2 lbs of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, supplemented by an optional 1 lb of chicken backs or carcass pieces if you’re aiming for maximum body. This combination ensures you have meat for shredding while the bones supply the essential structure for the stock. This approach honours the culinary traditions where nothing was wasted, ensuring every component contributes meaningfully to the final flavour profile of the Chicken Noodle Soup With Egg Noodles .

Why Slow-Simmering Makes the Difference

The magic lives in the low and slow approach. We begin by submerging all the stock components—the chicken, rough-chopped carrots, celery, halved onion (skin on for colour), garlic, thyme, and peppercorns—in 12 cups of cold water. It must start cold to ensure slow extraction. The mixture is brought just to a gentle simmer, where the heat is reduced to the absolute minimum. This is not a rolling boil; it's a barely perceptible "shiver" on the surface. Allowing this gentle infusion to persist for a full two to two-and-a-half hours permits the complex flavours to meld and the collagen to break down beautifully, creating that coveted mouthfeel.

Setting the Stage: Essential Tools for Success

Before we ignite the burner, ensure you have the right equipment. A minimum 8-quart stockpot is non-negotiable for this volume. Crucially, you will need a fine-mesh sieve or a chinois for straining the stock—this guarantees the clarity that sets a quality Egg Noodle Chicken Soup Recipe apart. A sharp chef’s knife for prep and a couple of forks for shredding the cooked meat complete the necessary toolkit.

Assembling the Foundation: Sourcing Ingredients for Maximum Flavour

While time is our primary ingredient, the quality of the supporting cast matters immensely. Every element, from the root vegetables to the herbs, needs to be chosen thoughtfully to contribute to a robust overall experience.

The Aromatic Trio: Mirepoix Perfection

For the stock base, we use rough-chopped carrots and celery because their purpose is flavour extraction, not presentation. However, for the final assembly, we introduce a fresh batch of mirepoix—1 cup of finely diced carrots and celery—sautéed in butter. This second, smaller batch provides fresh sweetness and texture that the long-simmered base vegetables can no longer offer. It’s this layering of flavour that makes for superior Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles and Vegetables .

Choosing Your Protein: Chicken Cuts for Deepest Taste

For the stock itself, utilizing bone-in, skin-on dark meat (thighs and legs) provides the richest flavour and fat content necessary for a satisfying broth. These pieces are simmered until tender and then deboned. The reserved 2 cups of shredded meat will be added back near the end, ensuring the final soup has plenty of hearty protein alongside the noodles.

Beyond Salt and Pepper: Essential Seasonings for Depth

The initial seasoning of the stock is modest: just a tablespoon of kosher salt and whole black peppercorns. This allows us to taste and adjust once the broth has concentrated. For herbaceous notes in the stock, we rely on four fresh thyme sprigs and two bay leaves, tied together if possible so they can be easily removed before straining. A final, crucial addition upon serving is a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, which acts as a flavour amplifier, brightening the entire bowl.

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Egg Noodles: A Practical Guide

When dealing with a recipe this flavour-focused, the noodles matter. If you have the time, fresh, homemade egg noodles are unparalleled in texture and taste. If purchasing, look for high-quality, wide-cut dried egg noodles. The goal is a noodle that absorbs the flavour without dissolving into mush. Remember the critical timing: these noodles should be cooked al dente right in the finished broth, or separately if you plan on having leftovers, as they continue to swell significantly upon standing.

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The Art of Broth Creation: Step-by-Step Simmering

This phase moves us from raw ingredients to the liquid gold that defines this comforting dish. Remember our golden rule: start cold.

1. Combine & Skim: Place your chicken pieces, rough vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns into the large pot and cover completely with cold water. Bring it slowly up to a boil. As soon as it reaches that point, aggressively use a slotted spoon to remove every bit of grey foam or scum that rises. This skimming phase, done during the first 30 minutes, is essential for clarity.
2. The Slow Infusion: After skimming, reduce the heat immediately to the lowest setting possible. Partially cover the pot and allow the stock to gently simmer, undisturbed, for at least two hours. Two-and-a-half hours is even better for maximum depth.
3. Strain and Reserve: Once the time is up, carefully remove all the solids using the slotted spoon. Pour the remaining liquid through your fine-mesh sieve into a clean container. Discard the spent vegetables and bones. You now possess the essential foundation for your Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles .

Bringing It All Together: Final Assembly of Your Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles

With the intense simmering complete, the focus shifts to quick assembly and achieving perfect texture.

Phase One: Building the Flavor Base (The Sauté)

In the now-clean stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the finely diced fresh carrots and celery (your second batch of mirepoix). Sauté them gently for about 5 to 7 minutes until they soften and become translucent—this is known as sweating them, which sweetens their flavour profile without browning them. If you desire a slightly thicker consistency, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the softened vegetables and stir for one minute to create a very light roux .

Achieving Clarity: Skimming and Clarifying the Stock

Wait! Did you skim well during the initial boil? If the answer is yes, your strained stock should already be beautifully clear. If it seems cloudy, you can attempt a mild clarification by letting it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes off the heat, then carefully ladling the top layer into your pot without disturbing the sediment at the bottom.

Cooking the Chicken to Tender Perfection

While the vegetables are sweating, take the chicken meat you removed from the bones earlier and shred it into appropriately sized pieces (about 2 cups). If your chicken pieces are not yet fully cooled, wait until they are handleable before shredding. This meat is added back towards the very end, ensuring it heats through without drying out.

The Final Integration: When to Add Noodles Without Overcooking

Slowly whisk or stir your strained chicken stock into the buttered vegetables in the pot. Bring this entire mixture back up to a gentle simmer. Taste it now—this is the moment to adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your exact preference. Once the broth is seasoned perfectly, add the 8 oz of egg noodles. Cook according to the package instructions, usually 6– 10 minutes, aiming for al dente . Stir in the reserved shredded chicken during the final two minutes to warm it through. Finish by stirring in the chopped fresh parsley and the optional touch of lemon juice before serving. This Easy Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles is ready for the table!

Optimizing Your Comfort: Tips, Tricks, and Variations

This foundational recipe for Chicken Egg Noodle Soup is robust, but a true expert knows how to tweak it for different occasions or to maximize flavour storage.

Elevating the Classic: Herb Infusions and Twists

To transform your soup into something spectacular, consider adding an extra layer of aromatic complexity during the final 15 minutes of the stock simmer: a small knob of fresh ginger or a sprig of fresh rosemary. For a richer, heartier meal reminiscent of a Creamy Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles , you can use the optional roux method described above, or whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream right before serving, ensuring you skip the final boil once cream is added.

Understanding the Nutritional Payoff Per Serving

This dish provides roughly 450 to 500 calories per serving, loaded with about 35g of protein, thanks to the generous meat portion. While the sodium content is highly dependent on your final salting, the broth offers minerals derived from the slow cooking process, making it a nourishing, well-rounded meal. This is certainly one of the most satisfying Easy Soup Recipes Quick to pull together when you have a couple of hours to dedicate to the stock base.

Freezing Fidelity: How to Successfully Preserve Leftovers

The Achilles' heel of any noodle soup is storage, as noodles continue to absorb liquid in the refrigerator, often becoming swollen and soft. For the best results when freezing, you must separate the components. Cool the broth and shredded chicken completely, then freeze them together. Cook the egg noodles separately in plain water, drain them well, and freeze them in small, tightly sealed bags. When reheating, thaw the broth mixture, bring it to a simmer, and cook the noodles fresh, adding them back to the heated soup just before serving.

Perfect Pairings: What Sides Complete This Meal?

While this Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles is a meal unto itself, it pairs beautifully with items that offer contrasting textures. Crusty, warm sourdough bread for dipping is mandatory. For a fresh counterpoint, serve it alongside a simple green salad dressed with a very sharp, acidic vinaigrette, which cuts perfectly through the richness of the broth. If you are preparing this dish for a larger crowd, consider making a Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles Crock Pot version by transferring the entire simmered stock base to the slow cooker after straining, allowing it to keep warm for hours.