Here at Food52, we love recipes -- but do we always use them? Of course not. Because once you realize you don't always need a recipe, you'll make your favorite dishes a lot more often.
Today: Our former head of distribution and partnerships, Maddy Martin, beats back flu season with the purest, simplest form of chicken noodle soup.
My husband, Dana, normally has an iron stomach. But when he catches something at the office (often around this time of year) and comes back home with a cold, the go-to remedy is always a simple chicken noodle soup. The trick to making a good one, in my mind, is to create a quick, rich broth. This sets you up for a soup that's mild and throat-coating for your cold-stricken companion, but still flavorful enough to enjoy a bowl yourself (with your taste buds still in full working order).
Note that the method here calls for using only half of the pulled chicken you extract from the whole bird. If it suits you better to use all of that chicken for another recipe, this soup can certainly be plumped up with other add-ins, like turkey meatballs, shrimp dumplings, or matzo balls. And of course if you have bits of other vegetables lying around waiting to be called to action -- fennel tops, half a cauliflower, green garlic shoots -- feel free to add them to the simmering stock. The more the merrier.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup Without a Recipe
1. Take giblets et al. out of the whole chicken and put the bird in a large pot. Add water to fully submerge the chicken, along with 2 large whole carrots (scrubbed, not peeled), 3 stalks of celery (just washed), 1 quartered onion, about 5 sprigs each of fresh parsley and thyme, a bay leaf, and a teaspoon of cracked black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is fall-apart tender and the stock is flavorful, about 1 hour.
Note: You can put the fresh herbs in the sachet, but I don't. Perhaps letting them float around adds more flavor? I think so.
More: Take a deeper dive into the makings of homemade chicken stock.
2. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside for a moment while you strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer (a colander lined with a clean kitchen towel works in a pinch) into a clean large bowl. Discard remaining stock solids, rinse the large pot, pour all but about two cups of stock back into the pot, and return it to the stove (not over any heat).
3. Pick all the chicken from the bones and place it into that large bowl you left with 2 cups of stock. The stock keeps the picked chicken moist while you get all the meat off the bones and prepare the soup.
Note: At this time you can separate dark and light meat into two bowls of broth, since you will be using only about half of the picked meat and can be choosy with what goes in the soup. I do this so I can get mostly dark meat in the soup (and use the white meat for chicken salad later), but it's up to you. I find the dark meat takes more kindly to reheating later on.
4. Add peeled and chopped carrots and chopped celery (both cut 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick) to the strained stock in the pot along with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, and bring to a boil. Don't salt to taste here; just add a little to season the vegetables, as some broth will evaporate.
5. When the stock comes to a boil, taste a carrot. If it's still pretty crunchy, let the vegetables cook for another minute before adding the egg noodles. If the carrot is tender, I go in with the egg noodles right away after the stock comes to a boil. For the amount of egg noodles, I estimate 1/4 to 1/3 the volume of the stock in the pot, depending on how chock-full of noodles you like your soup.
When the noodles are al dente, add half of the picked chicken (reserving the rest for chicken salad, or whatever you like) along with the stock it steeped in, and warm through for a minute.
6. Add a handful of minced fresh parsley, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and salt to taste. Serve.
We're looking for contributors! Email [emailprotected] and tell us the dish you could make in your sleep, without a recipe.
Photos by James Ransom
FAQs
Other noodle options
If you prefer not to make your own keto egg noodles, you can use other substitutes for noodles in this soup. Other low carb noodle options which can be used in this recipe include spaghetti squash, cabbage, zucchini noodles (aka zoodles), kelp noodles, hearts of palm noodles and shirataki noodles.
Can you just use chicken stock for soup? ›
In most cases, stock and broth are interchangeable. If you're in the soup aisle and can't remember whether the recipe called for stock or broth, either will do for making soup, gravy, or a flavorful pot of rice or grains. Keep in mind that stock is unseasoned, and broth is seasoned.
Can I use water instead of chicken broth for soup? ›
Fortunately, we're here to let you in on a game-changing secret: Water makes a more than acceptable replacement for chicken stock in most soups, stews, sauces, and braises. And in many cases, water actually produces a better-tasting result.
Is chicken soup just chicken broth? ›
Broth is made from the chicken flesh, but not bones. It may have a good chicken flavor, but will lack the mouthfeel of a stock, and remains liquid when chilled. Soup is made from either broth or stock and generally is the finished product with added meat, vegetables and noodles or rice.
Can I replace noodles with pasta? ›
Yes, you absolutely can substitute noodles for pasta, and vice versa, in a recipe. While it is up to personal preference, note that egg noodle recipes typically suggest cooking the noodles until they are soft and tender, while pasta recipes recommend cooking the pasta al dente (slightly firm).
What can I substitute for fresh noodles? ›
Spiralized Vegetables
Spiralized vegetables are those sliced by a spiralizer — a kitchen device used to cut vegetables into long strips which resemble noodles. Many vegetables can be spiralized, but the most popular are zucchini, carrots, turnips, beets and cucumbers.
How to turn stock into soup? ›
Heat up just as much broth as you need for however many servings of soup you want to make, then toss in some veggies, or beans, or pasta and cook until they're done—how long that takes will of course depend on what you add.
What can I use if I don't have chicken stock for soup? ›
Vegetable broth is a simple one-to-one substitute that can stand in just about anywhere. This broth is made by steeping vegetables or vegetable scraps—and sometimes spices—instead of chicken in water.
What to use if you don't have chicken broth? ›
Chicken Broth Substitute: Salted Butter + Water
If you don't have broth on hand and want a little more flavor than just plain water, try subbing in 1 cup of water plus 1 tablespoon of butter for every cup of chicken broth in your recipe. The butter will help create a richer flavor than just water alone.
What happens if I use chicken broth instead of stock? ›
“In general, stock and broth can be used interchangeably. However, there are times when it is more advantageous to choose one over the other,” Hill admits. Because stock is made from bones, it will infuse any recipe with stronger chicken flavor than broth.
Flavor and texture, basically. Water tastes like water. It can be used (how else do you think we make stock?), but you'll get more oomph out of your dish if you used a stock or broth. Not only that, but you can also change the flavor of a dish pretty easily by swapping out the type of stock.
Is chicken broth just boiled chicken water? ›
Chicken broth is the cooking liquid you find yourself with after you simmer the carcass, skin, and (sometimes) meat of the bird along with vegetables in water, and season it with salt, herbs, and spices. Broth might be lighter, but it has a complex enough flavor to be sipped and enjoyed all on its own.
Does chicken broth taste like chicken noodle soup? ›
The broths ranged in flavor from insipid to full-bodied, and some of the ones we tasted had strong off-flavors, like burnt onion, or had a mysterious acidic tang. The broths that ranked the highest smelled and tasted the most like a bowl of chicken soup.
What is chicken soup base? ›
Chicken base is highly concentrated, and is generally created by blending ingredients that provide the desired flavor notes, such as roasted chicken meat, vegetables including onions, celery and carrots, and various seasonings, spices and herbs. Chicken base is thicker than chicken stock or chicken broth.
Should you put noodles in soup? ›
→ Follow this tip: Adding noodles to the soup should be the very last thing you do before taking the pot off the heat. Wait until the soup is just about finished, mix in the noodles, and simmer until the noodles are about halfway cooked. The residual heat from the soup will continue to cook the pasta.
What pasta doesn't make you bloat? ›
While fiber is generally good for digestion, it can also be hard to break down for some individuals, causing bloating or discomfort. Opting for refined pasta or alternative options like brown rice pasta can be a better choice for those with sensitive stomachs.
Can rice be substituted for pasta? ›
If you're making a soup or stew, rice can work well as a substitution for orzo pasta. However, you may want to cook the rice separately before adding it. Rice is so starchy that when cooked with the broth, it will thicken considerably.
