Humans have been making chicken soup for as long as there have been domesticated chickens [1], and nearly every culture has its own version. America’s favorite is chicken noodle soup, a hearty and comforting combination of chicken, vegetables, and noodles. American chicken noodle soup takes culinary cues primarily from German and Jewish cuisines, and was popularized in canned form by the Campbell Soup Company.[2] While widely available in canned form, it is much better homemade, and is quite easy to put together!

Ingredients

1 lb cooked chicken, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
5 oz pasta or egg noodles
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp schmaltz or vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Chicken soup is best when made with homemade broth and chicken fat—you can use either schmaltz or just chicken fat skimmed from homemade broth. However, if you don’t have either on hand, use a high quality store-bought broth and a neutral vegetable oil. Begin by adding the fat to the soup pot over medium-high heat, and let it come to temperature. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn translucent and begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Then add the rest of the mirepoix to the pot—the chopped carrots and celery—together with the bay leaf and thyme leaves. These hardy herbs respond well to prolonged cooking, and will lend their flavor to the broth. Be sure to avoid getting the thyme stems into the soup, as these will not break down. Stir the vegetables together and cook for another 5 minutes until fragrant.

While the vegetables cook, prepare the precooked chicken. You can choose either to chop or shred it. Either works well, but they do result in different textures and mouthfeels, so use whichever you prefer. When the vegetables are fragrant, add the chicken and chicken broth to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the pot to a simmer, cooking for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Next, it is time to consider the eponymous noodle. I personally prefer whole wheat pasta in this soup, which stands up better to the other flavors of the soup. However, any pasta or egg noodle works, so use whichever you prefer! If you are going to store the soup, cook and store the pasta separately. This will prevent the pasta from becoming waterlogged. Add the pasta to the soup for reheating and service.

Add the pasta or noodle of choice to the soup and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pasta or noodles are tender. Fish out and discard the bay leaf, stir in the parsley, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve warm.

Substitutions

You can substitute duck fat for the schmaltz for a richer flavor. If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, dried thyme leaves work just fine in this soup. Leeks are a good substitute for onion in this recipe. Optionally, add a splash of lemon juice at the end of the cook to brighten up the soup a bit.

If you are going to use fresh chicken, I prefer to use chicken thighs for this soup. Sear the chicken with the onion, then continue cooking as the soup simmers. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove the thighs from the soup, shred the meat, and return the meat to the soup.

[1] Chickens were first domesticated around 10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia.

[2] Campbell originally marketed the soup as “Chicken Soup with Noodles,” but after a slipup during a radio advertisement in the 30s, in which the soup was referred to as “Chicken Noodle Soup,” the misnomer stuck.

Recipe

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 30 min Total Time: 35 min

Difficulty: 1/5

Heat Sources: 1 burner

Equipment: large pot

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb cooked chicken, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
5 oz pasta or egg noodles
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp schmaltz or vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the onion into 1 inch square pieces, peel and slice the carrots into coins, and chop the celery. In a large pot, heat about a tablespoon of schmaltz or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the fat comes up to temperature, add the garlic and onions to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, celery, bay leaf, and thyme leaves to the pot. Stir with the onions and cook for 5 additional minutes, until the aromatics are fragrant.

3. Add the chicken and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add the noodles to the soup and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.

5. Discard the bay leaf and add the parsley, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve.