Description
This Classic Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch elevates a traditional comfort food by using roasted chicken wings for a rich, golden broth and sous vide chicken breasts for tender, flavorful meat. With perfectly cooked orecchiette pasta, charred onions for depth, and fresh dill brightened with a squeeze of lemon, this homemade recipe delivers a striking and delicious chicken noodle soup experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 2 pounds (900g/about 10) chicken wings
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound/450g)
- 1 large (8-ounce/225g) yellow onion
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 quarts water (for stock)
- Reserved chicken fat from wings
Pasta and Garnishes
- 1 1/2 cups (4 ounces/115g) dried orecchiette pasta (or other shape of choice)
- 1/4 bunch (1/2 ounce/15g) fresh dill sprigs, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Roast Wings: Preheat the oven to 550°F (290°C) with the rack in the center. Spread chicken wings evenly on an unlined rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Collect Fat and Deglaze: Remove wings from oven; drain rendered chicken fat into a heatproof dish and reserve it. Pour 1/2 cup water onto the baking sheet, scrape up browned bits, and transfer wings, water, and dissolved bits into a 3-quart sauce pot. Add 1 1/2 quarts water to cover.
- Simmer Stock: Bring to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously for 15 minutes. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours, topping with water as needed to maintain volume.
- Sous Vide Chicken Breasts: Preheat sous vide cooker to 140°F (60°C). Season breasts generously with salt and place in zipper-lock or vacuum bags with 2 tablespoons reserved chicken fat. Remove air by water displacement or vacuum seal and cook for 2 hours. (Alternatively, poach chicken breasts gently in simmering water for about 20 minutes until cooked through.)
- Char Onion: Heat a 12-inch sauté pan over high heat. Peel and cut onion into thick 1-inch slices. Char the onion slices until blackened on both sides and add them to the stock. Simmer the stock an additional 1 hour.
- Strain Stock: After a total of 3 hours simmering, strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding wings and onion. Return broth to pot and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook Pasta: Boil salted water and cook pasta until al dente, then drain and toss with remaining reserved chicken fat for flavor and sheen.
- Assemble Soup: Dice the sous vide chicken breasts into 1/2-inch pieces and divide into four serving bowls. Add the pasta and sprinkle fresh chopped dill evenly over each bowl. Ladle hot chicken stock over the ingredients.
- Serve: Finish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a sous vide cooker for perfectly tender chicken breasts; alternatively, poach gently for 20 minutes.
- Roasting the wings at a very high temperature produces a richly flavored, golden broth.
- Charring the onion adds smoky depth to the soup base.
- Reserved chicken fat adds silkiness and flavor when tossed with the pasta.
- Add lemon juice just before serving for a bright, fresh finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 324 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1233 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Cholesterol: 116 mg
