We chose to use chicken leg quarters rather than a whole chicken to make this well-loved soup. It shortens the cooking time without sacrificing any flavor, and the dark meat adds extra depth. Carrots, celery and onion are called for twice in the recipe—first they’re simmered whole along with the chicken and aromatics to create a rich and flavorful broth. After straining them out, sliced vegetables are added to the soup to finish it. Nothing is as simple, comforting and satisfying.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 5 medium carrots, peeled
- 5 large stalks celery, trimmed
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved
- 3 pounds chicken leg quarters (about 4 legs)
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces wide egg noodles (about 4 cups)
Instructions
- Add 3 of the carrots, 3 stalks of the celery, half the onion, the chicken, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf to a large stock pot. Separate the parsley leaves from the stems and reserve the leaves. Add the stems to the pot. Cover with 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the broth is golden and the chicken is cooked through, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and put in a large bowl to cool. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or other container. Discard the solids. Wipe out the stockpot and pour the strained broth back into the pot.
- Cut the remaining 2 carrots diagonally into 1/4-slices. Cut the remaining 2 celery stalks into 1/2-inch slices. Dice the remaining half of the onion. Add the cut vegetables to the stock and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles until al dente, about 5 minutes, then drain and reserve.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and tear the meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and skin. Add the meat back to the pot along with the cooked noodles. Chop the reserved parsley leaves and add to the pot. Season with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt and some pepper and bring to a simmer to reheat.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 477 |
| Total Fat | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 32 g |
| Cholesterol | 176 mg |
| Sodium | 679 mg |
Reviews
This soup is easy and delicious! Today I used orzo instead of egg noodles and added a little lemon juice and zest! Sooooo yummy!!
Fantastic! Served it over raw fresh baby spinach. Wonderful
My go-to chicken soup.
My boyfriend and I made this for dinner last night and it was wonderful. We did make two adjustments to it. We omitted the parsley and added 2 cloves of minced garlic when it cameto the stock. And we used half a bag of medium egg noodles instead of 4 ounces.
First time making chicken noodle soup from scratch and I couldn’t be more pleased. The broth was delicious. For my family those who prefer a little more salt or maybe a little more pepper, it’s was perfect for them to make their own adjustment individually per bowl.
This is a wonderful addition to our winter dinners! Super easy. Tasted so fresh with the parsley. Kids and adults both loved it!
This recipe was so simple and turned out so well , I couldn’t be happier. Using the legs and fresh herbs made this so delicious and special❤️
This is the best chicken noodle recipe I have made, and believe me I have made quite a few. The seasoning at first glance appears to be not enough but it blends so well with the rich golden broth. The use of quartered legs was also ingenious. Now, it is a bit complicated because it requires several steps but it is more than worth it.
It’s a great recipe. My husband said it was the best ever. I had egg pasta so I used that. Instead of boiling separately I added it to the hot soup at the end put the lid back on a turned off the heat. It cooks on its own and doesn’t overcook.
I am a novice cook and I absolutely love this recipe. And I took the leftovers and put it in the freezer making sure to leave out the pasta until I’m ready to eat it again.