In case you haven’t been following along, let me catch you up. On Wednesday we made a gorgeous roasted chicken broth for the expressed purpose of making this soul-warming soup. Here, we used that wonderfully flavorful broth to complete the recipe, and let me tell you, it was incredible.
You know how much I hate to complicate a recipe, and I'll always err on the side of too few ingredients vs. too many, so when I make this chicken noodle soup it’s a constant battle to not add other “stuff.”
Not that’s there’s anything wrong with stuff, per se, but if properly made, this soup is just too amazing in its pure and natural state for any distracting, supercilious additions. By the way, a little advice to you young up-and-coming food bloggers; never use “per se,” and “supercilious” in the same sentence.
Yes, other than the mirepoix, and a tiny pinch of fresh thyme, the rest of this soup is basically chicken and noodles. Speaking of the noodles, I’m hoping you go with the wide ones I used. I was only half-kidding about this soup being a meditation, and egg noodle wrestling is half the fun.
Like I said in the video, this will work with regular chicken stock, but if you do decide to make this, I sincerely hope you go ahead and make the roasted chicken broth first. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4-6 servings:
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp rendered chicken fat
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp rendered chicken fat
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves or pinch of dried thyme
2 quarts roasted chicken broth
1 pound cooked chicken breast, cubed
4 oz dry wide egg noodles
cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste
65 comments:
Ha! You talked me into it...egg noodles it is.
thank you for such a comferting recipe,
i really need it, my dog died today and i feal so lonely :(
sorry for such a deppresing coment but i hope you understand.
Half a red bell pepper past its prime, half a red bell pepper past its prime, half a red bell pepper past its prime.....few did it.
Great lookin soup gonna try it this weekend.
Thanks Chef John...wish I could make this for james who lost his dog...sorry James:>(
Jan
in Brasil we use rice instead of noodles and mint instead of thyme
Thanks for the recipe
My Bubbie used to make it this way, with wide egg noodles. She also added a parsnip and, if she had it around, the cut-off ends of asparagus, to make the broth. Such a great color when you roast the chicken first. Thanks for this!
My condolences for your pup, James. I'm glad you shared your loss with us. As an online community we can listen. I have a very old beloved cat that I will not have very much longer and I will be bereft when he goes.
Jonathan: Mint and rice. Oh, I like that idea. Gonna try it.
interesting recipe...
awe <3 james.
Chef John: I find that when I cook egg noodles in the soup itself, they continue to cook in the hot broth even after I've turned off the heat and everything except the first bowl is full of mushy overcooked noodles. Do you have this problem and a way to fix it, besides cooking the noodles separately?
Hi Chef John - HELP - every time I add pasta to my broths, stews/chili and soups and I stir the pasta in to cook--I always get some pasta that ends up sticking and burning on the bottom of my Le Crueset enamel pot regardless of how often I stir it - any suggestions for what I am doing wrong to prevent this? Or does yours also burn and chefs just don't 'mention' that part? Thanks! :)
This looks absolutely amazing, I'm going to add this to the cooking queue
cb, sorry, but i've never seen or even really heard of this problem. 4oz of noodles in 2 quarts of boiling (must be boiling) would never stick to the bottom. I dont even think I could make it stick on purpose.
Unless you are using the world's thinnest cheapest pot, and not stirring when you add, its a mystery.
Just made chicken noodle soup. I've pretty much always made it like this and I think it's the best. So glad you didn't put any "weird" stuff in it.
When I'm pressed for time (or not) I use a
Cosrco roasted chicken, make broth from that, and finish the soup pretty much like you do.
I love homemade noodles like my mom made. Again, if I'm pressed for time (or not) I buy frozen Reames noodles. They are thick and yummy like homemade. I don't know if they are available everywhere. I buy them in the Pacific Northwest.
Jackie
Actually, schmaltz is also a term used in the garment industry to describe poor quality fabric used as a coat liner. In this sense, it means something cheap or tacky.
So yeah. Mazel tov.
I prefer the really small, thin egg noodles so I can relive my childhood experience of eating Campbell's Chicken Noodle but now I can eat the homemade version with no MSG. Actually, I started making homemade because I couldn't find a store-bought version without MSG.
I made the stock on Friday night and then the soup last night. It was delicious, I especially liked the "Pappardelle". I have plenty left over for tonight.........yummm!
James, so sorry about your dog. I have three and they mean everything to me, I totally feel your pain.
I've had a neglected roaster chicken in the back of my freezer for far too long. When I saw this recipe, I knew that it would be my chicken's destiny.
I don't know where to start. This recipe is so many flavours of awesome that THIS will be my preferred method from here on in.
Whether it's the roasting, or the ketchup or the schmaltz, this was THE best chicken soup I've ever made. I also added some chopped celery leaves, because I feel sorry for leaving them behind.
Thank you, Chef John. You rock.
And James - sorry to hear about your doggy. Hope you were able to rustle up some chicken soup this weekend. Take care.
I am just getting over a bad cold so it took me two days worth of strength to get this made, then....BOO-YA I was completely healed after eating the first bowl. The deliciousness is insane! Thank you Chef John
Tried this last night, turned out great but the following issues:
When I roasted the chicken at 400 for 45mins, my breast meat wasn’t cooked all the way through. I went back and re-watched part 1, and Chef John’s chicken looked noticeably more cooked so I decided to put the chicken back in for another 10 mins. Because the chicken cooled already when it went back in the oven, there was still a lot of raw meat. I decide this was ok and I would just put the it in earlier during the noodle cooking period.
I then consulted the internet and found 3 & ½ chicken normally takes around an hour and half to cook at 375, so 45mins is approximately a half cooked chicken. The way I figured it, the pieces were small enough that any under cooking would be resolved later and maybe that was the intent since breast meat is the most delicate.
Also, I didn’t skim off as much I normally would with a fattier cut of meat (short ribs, ox tail, pork shoulder, etc.) as I expected chicken to leaner in nature and not require it. That being said, I probably should have as there was a noticeable film as my soup cooled that I could do without.
Otherwise, very difficult to screw this one up and as always, I enjoyed.
You are amazing, ChefJohn (:
Actually I don't like cooking with ketchup. Instead I added some tomato paste with a pinch of sugar and a small spoon of vinegar (which comes nearly to the same). Nevertheless: Again a great simple dish!
Greetings from Germany (And no: I am not(!) 300 lbs. ;-))
Chef, I made your "A Chicken for Julia" recipe last Sunday, then, during the week, turned the leftovers into this soup. Absolutely perfect. Thank you for another great post!
Hello,
I'm new here at this blog. When I saw your recipe for the Chicken Noodle Soup, I just had to prepare it. What can I tell you, the 4 hours of pre preperations were worth it. It was amazing. Thanks.
I made this last night for dinner (it paired nicely with a loaf of sourdough from the market). This was so yummy, I take back my hesitation that I expressed in my comment about the broth of "wasting" the dark meat in the broth. It was sooooooo worth it.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find wide egg noodles in my market that were as long as the ones you used. (I live less than an hour from Lancaster, PA so you would think something as Pennsylvania Dutch as egg noodles would have lots of variation. Maybe I need to start trolling more of the Amish farmer's markets in the area...) But, regular length (1" - 1.5" long) noodles seemed to work.
I admit I did make a couple of changes. My wife detests the texture of celery pieces in soups, so I put extra celery in while making the broth to get a little extra flavor to make up for the lack of celery in my mirepoix. Instead I substituted some coarsly chopped crimini mushrooms for the celery. My wife also wanted potatoes in the soup, so I browned/sauteed some diced, unpeeled creamers (small red potatoes) in just chicken fat for about 10 minutes, and added them to my sauteed mirepoix just before adding the broth.
Hopefully my wife didn't finish the leftovers for lunch and I can get 1 more bowl out of it. ;-)
Hey guys this is the best chicken soup I have ever had!
Make the broth on day one then put in fridge overnight this makes it easy to spoon the fat off your brooth. So easy so delicious.
Follow the recipe to the tee and please don't add the red pepper keep it simple.
It will last up to a week in the fridge and gets even better as a few days pass BIG YUM! Ur the man Chef John weThanx U soooo much!
Hello from Australia, Chef John :) today I made the roast chicken broth and I'm going to make the soup tomorrow morning. If I want to do a double batch next time doing two chickens at once, how would that affect the roasting time?
Thank you for all your vids, we love you! xo
maybe a little longer, but just roast til browned. everything gets cooked again anyway.
Chef John, I have done this recipe twice. Both have turned out excellent. I just finished trying this same roasted broth-to-soup method a 3rd time with a couple of pheasants that a friend provided. It comes out just as tasty, in fact it was a bit better than the same old chicken flavor.
I just wanted to thank you, I never would have had the confidence to try something like that before I started watching your videos.
I browse your blog before I go shopping for food now, lol.
Can I throw out a food wish? How would you do a Deli-style roast beef? (all pink with a well-done skin) I have tried an eye of round roast at 500 degrees for 20 min, then you shut it off and keep the oven closed for a couple hours. This method worked, but I had inconsistent results depending on the size of the shrink-wrapped grocery store cut of meat.
Again, thanks for all of the free learning you provide! I hope I aint asking you about a video you have already made......actually that wouldn't be too bad.
I thought that I made good chicken soup (I did), but this takes my favorite to a new level. The only change I made was substituting cooked brown rice for the noodles.
One of my favorite recipes but I've never done it with roasted chicken; I'll have to give that a shot; sounds so good.
Though I always make dumplings instead of using noodles. The kind you put on top and steam; I often wonder if it's the dumplings or the soup I love...but most likely it's the two combined!
You may be interested to know that I'm going to be sharing my top-secret dumpling recipe soon! We'll see how it puffs up against yours. ;)
Then i will try to wait for that recipe. hope to see it sooner.. :D
Dear Chef John!
I made it!
It was very lovely, REAL tasty chicken soup. Thank you.
You are great teacher and I am so grateful for your free recipes (and jokes).
:-)
Ingrit from Finland
I made this yesterday to help a houseful of sick people. It was time consuming doing it from start to finish, but I'm unemployed at the moment so it was doable. Delicious! This was far better than the chicken soup I've always made without roasting. Not sure I can ever go back. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Chef John!
I've never cooked in my life (and had no desire) til I met the man I know I'm going to marry. Don't have money for lessons, and came across you on allrecipes.com
You are amazing and have tried many of your recipes and they all came out great! Thank you soo much!
Anyways, I feel so bad for "wasting" all that chicken you use to make the broth. Is there anyway you can still use it or just toss it in the trash? I will be making this tonight when I get off work. But for now, off to buy a dutch oven! Hooray, an excuse to go shopping, hehe.
you're not wasting anything, since its all in the broth! :) thanks!!
I adore you Chef John!! You have NO IDEA how many times I have laughed while watching a video of yours. The comments about the CNSoup being a meditation were a riot.
You also are SUCH an inspiring cook. I have watched cooking shows on TV for many years. None of them ever make me want to get up off my butt and actually MAKE FOOD. They make me want to eat food--because it looks good--but they make it seem so complicated that I am usually too intimidated to try to do what they are doing. For some reason, your style is just SO much more approachable. You actually INSPIRE ME TO COOK! That is quite a feat--believe me ;)
Thank you so very much for doing what you do! Love love love your blog!! <3
Thank you!!!!
Hey, the plug-in keeps failing for the video. Could you fix that? Or spell out the recipe?
I found you a long time ago on allrecipes and have enjoyed you and your videos very much. I've recently become disabled and have more time on my hands than I care to tell you so practically live on your blog. This soup looks amazing. I'm such a soup person and could live on soup alone, so, that said I will most definitely try this method for chicken soup. I've always used the carcass of roasted chicken and turey to make soup but this takes it to a much higher level I'm sure. I can[t wait to try it. Thank you for the hours of entertainment and enlightenment you have given me.
Thanks Suzanna!
Dear Chef John,
This is the 3d time I watch this video and I don't get tired! You are so entertaining with your comments and remarks. My husband is not a big cook but he enjoys watching your videos as well. Keep up the good work!
P.S. have you published your book yet. I'd like to buy it.
I'm going to give this a try someday, then I'm going to compare this to my Dad's. I have a feeling that yours will be better.
@Joe, no way, Dad's is always best.
I made this today for my mother-in-law who was just discharged from the hospital. She loved it and called it "gourmet chicken soup"! I anticipate eating the soup regularly will lead to a full recovery soon.
I am just finishing up the broth portion and OMG does it ever smell wonderful!!!! I am making what I think will be the best chicken noodle soup ever for a Home Dedication for Habitat for Humanity tomorrow...thank you so much for sharing your recipe, your great humor and your mad chicken soup skills!!!!
Why is the screen green instead of showing you cooking? If I put the cursor on the moving part I can see small version of the pot etc. What's up with that. Never had that before.
Chef John,
I first discovered your recipe for mashed potatoes years ago, and wanted to find more of your recipes in order to expand my repertoire. Normally my wife does the cooking, and lately she has fallen ill, so the cooking duties have fallen to me. I make the potatoes at least once a week, and served up the Mancakes for Father's Day, and for a special visit by a long-distance friend. Every recipe I try of yours is extremely easy for a beginner to learn, and improve upon.
That being said, I made this soup today, following your recipe for the roasted chicken broth. This is the best recipe for chicken noodle soup I have ever made, and my mother makes some pretty darn good soup.
Thank you for continuing your blog, and making great recipes that are fabulous.
Thank you! I hope she's feeling better soon!
I am making this soup for the third time today.....I absolutely love this recipe exactly the way it is. I have my son and his wife coming for the weekend and I know they will moan while eating this beautiful tasty soup..........I have never added anything extra to the soup but I may try a little Kale for this weekend....not sure yet....don't want to ruin a great recipe. Thanks you Chef.
I tried this for the first time today, and like all Chef John recipes, my wife and I were totally blown away by the results. There's enough leftovers for multiple meals this week, and they're all going to be awesome!
Is this a good soup base for Italian Wedding Soup?
Chef John, Thank you so much for the video and the easy to follow steps. When it comes to cooking, I'm the joke in the family so I usually wash dishes. I made your roasted chicken noodle soup and got rave reviews. My kitchen was a mess when I was done, but it was worth it Right now I'm cooking your roasted turkey and gravy. You are a fabulous teacher.
Wow-this recipe is almost identical to the one I make-except for the cayenne-which I will and with the next batch. One addition that I use is a finish of parsley. Never hurts to add a little color and a few vitamins.
Thanks for all the wonderful info and videos.
This is just so good, this is the 2nd time I've made it in 2 months. YES, I did say 2 MONTHS!!
I know its time consuming, but it is WELL WORTH IT!!
Now for my question, I doubled the recipe (you do get the feeling that we LOVE this soup), and want to share some with an elderly widower while also making it as easy for him as possible.
I was wondering if I can add the Chicken Breast and the veggies to the broth and then freeze (not cooking it). Then when its time to cook it. we put it on the stove - cook it for the 10 minutes and then add in the noodles till completely done. Another words, freezing everything - broth, carrots, celery chicken breast so its all there. Then all he has to do is put it in pot, cook it 10 min, then add the noodles. I'm afraid that if I cook everything up to the noodles it might dry out the chicken. Will that work? Suggestions?
I want to freeze this so it's easy for an elderly male neighbor to make.
My thoughts are 1 of 2 ways:
1) Add the uncooked carrots, celery and cooked chicken breast back into the broth, but do not cook it. He will have to cook this the 10 minutes before adding (and cooking) the noodles.
OR
2) Add the uncooked carrots, celery and cooked chicken breast back into the broth, and cook it the 10 minutes. This way all he has to do is add and cook the uncooked Noodles.
At the end of the day, I want easy for him and I don't want the chicken dried out which I'm afraid might happen if I do #2
Which would be best? Any other suggestions?
Working on this recipe now. Smells great! So sorry about your dog, James :( Looking forward to this soup!
Working on this recipe now. Smells great! So sorry about your dog, James :( Looking forward to this soup!
thanks chef John I made this for the third time today. First time making the stock too! The first time, it was great but hot because of the cyanne...or maybe a fresh hot pepper.
The second time, I couldnt find the video so I tried to make it from memory...plus, I didnt have any celery. It came out hot again...I'm sure it was the hot pepper that time...and I put too much tyme in it...so...I thought it was ok but my wife and family wouldnt eat it. She said Who would put peppers in chicken soup? When I found your recipe again, I said, chef John would!
Ok, third time I made your stock even with the ketchup...my wife caught me putting that in...so I followed the recipes exactly and it came out great...not even hot this time.
thanks again
Just made this yesterday, Sunday night. Delicious! I actually made the chicken stock the week before, froze the stock plus the chicken breasts; I also doubled the recipe. Other tweak was to add white button mushrooms (which you suggested as an option near the end of the video) It worked out so fabulously. Thanks very much Chef John!
Amazing!
I'll give it a try very soon!
Thanks!
This has changed my chicken soup experience. I made it, and it came out so delicious and satisfying. It made me happy! Thank you chef John!
I'd like to make this soup for my mother in law's 80th birthday soup and sandwich open house. Is there any way you can help me with the quantities for 100? THX Chef
I make my chicken soup almost exactly like this, at least a couple times a month.
Sometimes noodles, sometimes rice, sometimes bowtie pasta and if feeling ambitious, then dumplings. Sometimes I add a can of corn (which is something often done here in PA for some reason).
Basically, if you make and keep homemade chicken broth in the freezer, you are only a half hour from awesome soup anytime.
You can even used nasty canned chicken if you don't have anything else and it's awesome with the mirepoix and real stock.
I also keep a lot of ham stock in the freezer for bean recipes, which I do fast in a pressure cooker (an old one, bought years before the instapot thingy existed). Same idea, you can do any type of bean or split pea recipe really fast and easy. We do these things a couple times a month too.
The whole trick is having a freezer full of stock. I always a few gallons in quart containers, at least chicken, beef and ham stock, and after the holidays, I have turkey stock for a while (in my family, that was traditional for meatball soup after Thanksgiving).
Heck, just cooking up pasta or rice in stock makes yummy food. It's just such gorgeous stuff.
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