There are tons of weeknight shortcuts that we could have snuck into a homemade chicken noodle soup recipe, but this time we’re not cutting corners. This is the long game, and the results are worth it! The golden-hued soup is about as classic (and as comforting) as they come. The key is to treat the breasts and legs of a whole chicken differently: The breasts need to be pulled from the simmering broth early so they don’t dry out, whereas the legs require a little more time to become tender. (Want some extra guidance? Check out this step-by-step video.)
But it’s not only about the bird. Vegetables require more consideration than just cooking to mush alongside the chicken, so we discard the ones that build the broth, then swap in a second round of celery and carrots that cook just until tender. Dill lends bright, herbal flavor, but you could use fresh thyme, oregano, or a few bay leaves if you prefer. For the pasta, we opt for ditalini cooked in the broth, but feel free to use any small quick-cooking pasta you have. We wouldn’t be mad about orzo, ABCs, fregola, or even tortellini.
If you’re looking to add another chicken soup recipe to your repertoire, try this one with rice noodles, scallion crisp, and an herby finish. And, if you prefer a variation on chicken soup with rice and the simplicity of using boneless chicken thighs, this gingery version is nourishing and deeply comforting.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published January 5, 2020.
What you’ll need
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Cups
$18 At Bon Appétit Market
Chef's Knife
$61 $51 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Large Pot
$65 At Amazon
Large Basting Spoon
$22 At Amazon
Instant-Read Thermometer
$35 At Thermoworks
Tongs
$18 $14 At Amazon
Fork
Sieve
$16 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Season one 3–4-lb. chicken all over with 4 tsp salt.
Step 2
Time to do some prep work: Cut 2 medium onions into quarters. (There's no need to remove the onion skins, which lend the broth a golden hue, but you can if you'd like.) Peel 4 medium carrots. Coarsely chop 2; set remaining 2 aside. Coarsely chop 2 celery stalks. Cut 2 heads of garlic in half crosswise.
Step 3
Combine chicken, cut vegetables, 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns, and 2 dill sprigs in a large pot. Cover with 14 cups cold water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer and using a large spoon to skim off any foam that rises to surface of pot, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 155°, 20–25 minutes.
Step 4
Using tongs, carefully lift whole chicken out of pot and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest until cool enough to handle.
Step 5
Arrange chicken breast side up. Grab a wing and pull it outward so you can see where it attaches to the body. Using a sharp boning or chef’s knife, cut through the joint to separate wing from breast (if you hit bone, you’re in the wrong spot; pull the wing out farther to help you get to the place where the joint meets the socket). Remove wing; repeat on the other side.
Step 6
Cut through skin connecting 1 leg to carcass. Pull leg back until ball joint pops out of its socket; cut through the joint to separate the leg. Repeat on the other side.
Step 7
Now for the breasts: Cut along left side of breastbone (which runs right down the center of the breast). Angling your knife, cut breast meat away from carcass. Repeat this process, cutting down along the right side of the breast bone for the remaining breast.
Step 8
Pull off and discard any skin from legs and breasts (no need to discard skin of the wings). Return legs, wings, and what remains of the carcass to pot with vegetables. (You should now have only the chicken breasts remaining on your cutting board.)
Step 9
Continue to simmer soup, occasionally skimming fat that rises to the top with large spoon, until reduced by an inch or two and very full-flavored, about 40 minutes.
Step 10
While soup simmers, shred cooled chicken breasts with 2 forks into bite-sized pieces.
Step 11
Thinly slice remaining 2 celery stalks crosswise. Cut remaining 2 medium carrots into ½" diagonal pieces. Finely chop enough dill to yield ¼ cup.
Step 12
Transfer 2 chicken legs to cutting board to cool. Set a fine-mesh sieve over another large pot. Strain soup into second pot, discarding bones, carcass, wings, and vegetables.
Step 13
Bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 6 oz. ditalini and stir once. Cook 5 minutes.
Step 14
While ditalini cooks, shred meat off 2 chicken legs; discard bones.
Step 15
Add shredded chicken and sliced carrots and celery to pot and cook until pasta is cooked through and vegetables are tender but not mushy, 4–5 minutes longer.
Step 16
Remove pot from heat. Stir in dill. Season well with salt (it’s going to take a lot!) and pepper.
Step 17
Divide soup among bowls. Top with more pepper.
