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Cozy Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup for Chilly Days

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A warming, soul-healing chicken noodle soup inspired by a childhood memory, featuring deep flavor from browned chicken thighs, tender vegetables, and wide egg noodles in a golden broth. Ready in about 45 minutes, it’s the perfect comfort food for cold days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
  • 8 ounces wide egg noodles
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Prep your vegetables. Dice the onion, slice the carrots into rounds (about ¼-inch thick), slice the celery, and mince the garlic.
  2. Brown the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until deeply golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Cook the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 4-5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Build the broth. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Add the dried thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and turmeric if using. Stir together. Nestle the browned chicken thighs back into the pot along with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
  5. Shred the chicken. After 20 minutes, transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board. Let rest for a minute or two, then shred with two forks or use a hand mixer on low speed for about 10 seconds.
  6. Cook the noodles. Bring the soup back to a gentle boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions, usually 6-8 minutes, until al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  7. Finish and serve. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the fresh parsley and dill. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the bay leaves. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

For meal prep, cook noodles separately and add to individual servings to prevent them from absorbing all the broth. The soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months without noodles. Let the soup rest for 10-15 minutes before serving for best flavor. Don’t skip browning the chicken—it builds deep flavor. Use chicken thighs for juicier results; breasts can be substituted but reduce simmering time to 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: chicken noodle soup, homestyle soup, comfort food, chicken soup, easy soup recipe, cold weather soup, chicken thigh soup, egg noodle soup

Find it online: https://jollyfork.com/cozy-homestyle-chicken-noodle-soup-for-chilly-days/