Chicken Noodle Soup

There’s nothing fancy about Chicken Noodle Soup. There’s nothing quite comforting like it either. The premise is so simple – like everything good is – a flavorful broth in which noodles and chunks of chicken float freely. It’s a warming and comforting sea of nutrition. It’s a hospitable environment to all kinds of vegetables and herbs. It’s unfussy and adjusts to any taste and customizes to any preferences. It nurtures an ailing body back to life and warms a poor soul on a cold night.

Chicken noodle soup is a reliable companion during those chilly autumn days. I’m such a fan, I could live on soup alone—all kinds of soup. I’d be happy to have it every day of the week. When I start mourning the end of summer, I think of all the wonderful things ahead, and it all begins with a steaming bowl of soup.

For days when time and motivation are not an issue, I make my own broth or make everything from scratch. But some days, I just feel like grabbing a rotisserie chicken and taking a shortcut to dinner. Here’s how it goes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

It’s not surprising that flavorful broths take forever to cook. All that simmering develops a rich, deep, complex flavor, reminding us that time is just another ingredient in cooking.

For this chicken noodle soup, the goal is to add as much flavor as possible without the long hours of simmering broths usually require—because this isn’t a ramen restaurant, this is your home kitchen, it’s a weekday, and we’re tired.

For the base, we’re using a simple mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrots. Why these vegetables? Well, the French have built an entire cuisine around this base for centuries. The vegetables are slowly cooked in butter over low heat to coax out their flavors without browning or caramelizing them. That simple step imparts a surprising amount of flavor to the soup.

While the base simmers, you can quickly shred the rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chicken is a marvel to me: it’s already cooked and somehow more affordable than buying a tray of chicken breasts. I like to ignore modern technology and shred mine using two forks—it keeps me humble. But a hand mixer works in seconds, too—just remember to dismember it first (poor choice of words? Sorry).

A few other ingredients add umami without extra time, like a parmesan rind. It’s optional, but recommended—it adds more flavor and saltiness to the broth. To finish, I like to double down and top my soup with grated parmesan.

To balance any richness, a squeeze of fresh lemon adds just enough acid to cut through the fatty components. Fresh herbs are always welcome—most tender herbs work beautifully: parsley, cilantro, dill, or even basil.

For the noodles, I always grab Trader Joe’s pappardelle pasta. It’s my absolute favorite—made by hand, and it tastes just like fresh pasta. It’s wonderful and cooks fairly quickly.