Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs · or bone-in chicken400 g
• Onion · diced1
• Carrots · half-moons2
• Celery · sliced2 stalks
• Garlic · minced3 cloves
• Chicken stock · or water + bouillon8 cups
• Egg noodles · or pasta150 g
• Olive oil1 tbsp
• Bay leaf1
• Salt & pepper · to taste
• Parsley · chopped, optional
• Lemon · a squeeze, optional

Steps

1. Heat olive oil in a pot and cook the onion, carrot, and celery until softened, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

   ⏲ 6 min

2. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and whole chicken pieces. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through.

   ⏲ 15 min

3. Lift out the chicken, let it cool briefly, then shred or chop it and return it to the pot.

   ⏲ 5 min

4. Bring the broth back to a boil, add the egg noodles, and cook until the noodles are tender.

   ⏲ 8 min

5. Season with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaf. Scatter parsley on top and add a squeeze of lemon to taste.

   ⏲ 1 min

Tips & Variations

The basics behind this dish

• Stocks and Broths: Clarity, Time, and Why You Do Not Salt ThemWhat separates a clear stock from a cloudy one is temperature, not ingredients. Why you start in cold water, how long each ingredient wants, and why salt comes later.
• Salt: When You Add It Matters More Than How MuchThe same amount of salt either draws water out or seasons all the way through, depending on when it goes in. Osmosis, seasoning in layers, and why salt types are not interchangeable by volume.
• Knife Skills: Grip, Cuts, and Why Size MattersHow you hold the knife matters more than how fast you cut. The pinch grip, the claw hand, and why uniform size is a cooking decision rather than a cosmetic one.