Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Rich Stock

Info

• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Time from start to finish: 6 hours 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• About 12 1/2 cups (3 liters) chicken stock, made with the recipe below
• 2 chicken breasts (roughly 1 pound / 450 grams)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 of a red or yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds about 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) thick
• 1 celery stalk, sliced about 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) thick
• 1/4 fennel bulb, diced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 cups broad egg noodles
• 2 small handfuls Swiss chard or kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons dill, parsley or fennel fronds, finely chopped

For the Chicken Stock

• 2 3/4 to 3 1/3 pounds (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 kilograms) whole chicken carcasses
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 medium carrots
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1/2 head of garlic
• 1 handful parsley stalks
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. Put the chicken stock in a large saucepan, add the chicken breasts, and set the pan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, cover it, and leave it for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Lift the chicken out of the stock and set it aside to rest.
2. While that happens, warm the oil in a second saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Add the garlic and turmeric, stir for 30 seconds, then carefully pour in the hot chicken stock. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the egg noodles and cook per the package instructions, or until tender.
3. Right before serving, pull the chicken apart into bite-sized pieces with two forks and stir it into the soup, along with the greens, lemon juice, herbs, and a last round of salt and pepper.
4. For the stock, set the chicken on a sturdy work surface and, with a sharp knife, separate it at the joints: take off the wings and legs, and split the legs into thighs and drumsticks. Remove the breast meat from the carcass, wrap it, and refrigerate or freeze it for later. Put the bones, wings, thighs and drumsticks into a large stockpot.
5. Cut the celery and carrots into large rough chunks and add them to the pot. Halve the onion without peeling it, and add it along with the garlic, parsley stalks, thyme, bay, peppercorns and salt. Pour in 4 liters (about 1 gallon) of water, adding more if the vegetables and chicken are not fully submerged.
6. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil, then immediately turn the heat down to low so the stock stays at a gentle simmer. Simmer for at least 4 hours, skimming off the frothy foam that rises to the surface from time to time.
7. Once the stock tastes rich and the bones crumble easily when pressed, lift out as much of the chicken and vegetables as you can, then strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve. Let it cool to room temperature, then move it to resealable containers. It keeps in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.