Clear-Broth Chicken Noodle Soup
Good soup starts with patience. You are looking for a gentle shimmer on the surface of the pot rather than a violent boil, which keeps the broth translucent.
Watch your heat
Keep the lid slightly ajar to prevent the broth from clouding, and keep the temperature low enough that the liquid barely moves.
- 8-quart heavy-bottomed stockpot
- fine-mesh sieve
- tongs
- skimmer or ladle
What goes in.
- 1 (4 lb)whole chicken
- 3large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 3celery stalks, sliced thin
- 1large yellow onion, peeled and halved
- 4sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2bay leaves
- 8 ozdried wide egg noodles
- to tastekosher salt and black pepper
Maintaining Clarity
In the first 20 minutes of simmering, white foam will rise to the top. Use a skimmer to remove this foam immediately; if you let it boil back into the broth, the soup will turn murky.
The method.
Start the base
Place the chicken, onion, bay leaves, and thyme in the pot. Cover with cold water by two inches. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat.
Simmer
Skim the surface as described. Partially cover and simmer for 90 minutes. The chicken is done when the meat pulls away easily from the leg bone.
Strain and prep
Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Discard the spent vegetables.
Build the soup
Bring the strained broth back to a simmer. Add the fresh carrots and celery. Cook for 10 minutes until tender.
Finish
Add the noodles to the boiling broth. While they cook, shred the chicken meat, discarding skin and bones. Stir the chicken back into the soup once the noodles are firm to the bite.
Other turns to take.
Lemon-Herb
Finish the soup with two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a handful of chopped parsley just before serving to cut the richness.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always start with cold water; it draws out more flavor from the bones as the temperature rises.
If you have time, chill the strained broth overnight to skim off the solidified fat from the top.
Do not overcook the noodles; they will continue to soften in the hot broth even after you turn off the heat.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my broth cloudy?
Usually, this happens if the soup was kept at a rolling boil rather than a simmer, or if the foam wasn't skimmed off at the start.
How real cooks make it.
No one’s shared their version yet. Be the first to put your kitchen on the map.
Cook this your way?
Share your version — your steps, your story. We’ll feature it right here.
Add your recipe