Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cups yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1.5 cups carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1.5 cups celery, sliced into 1/4 inch crescents
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2.5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 8 oz wide egg noodles
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Prep the chicken. Pat the 2.5 lbs of bone in, skin on chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Note: Moisture on the skin is the enemy of a good sear; it creates steam instead of a crust.
  2. Sear for gold. Heat the 2 tbsp unsalted butter in your Dutch oven over medium high heat. Place chicken skin side down and cook for 5–7 minutes until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pan.
  3. Rest the meat. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate. Don't worry that it's not cooked through yet; it will finish later.
  4. Sauté the base. Throw the 2 cups of onion, 1.5 cups of carrots, and 1.5 cups of celery into the remaining fat. Cook for 6–8 minutes until the onions look translucent and soft.
  5. Fragrant additions. Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook for only 1 minute until you can smell the garlic clearly.
  6. The big simmer. Return the chicken to the pot. Pour in the 8 cups of chicken stock and add the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Bring everything to a boil, then drop the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the meat is tender and starting to pull away from the bone.
  7. Shred the protein. Pull the chicken out again. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, then throw away the skin and bones.
  8. Noodle time. Put the shredded meat back in the pot. Add the 8 oz of wide egg noodles to the bubbling broth. Boil for 6-8 minutes until the noodles are tender but still have a slight bite.
  9. The bright finish. Turn off the heat. Stir in the 1/4 cup of fresh parsley and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Taste the broth now—add a pinch more salt if the flavors don't pop.
  10. Final rest. Let the soup sit for 2 minutes before serving. This allows the temperature to even out and the noodles to finish absorbing the seasoned broth.