No-Frill (with Lots of Dill) Chicken Noodle Soup
If you love dill, you are in the right place. Welcome to the Dill Fan Club!
As a child who was an aggressively picky eater — I know, right — there were few things I loved as much as bread. Total shocker! My mom made this homemade bread that I lovingly called “Bally Dough Bread,” and it quite literally came out of a wild countertop contraption where you poured in yeast, flour, water, and POOF. Bread. The “bally” element came from the fact that the bread robot rolled the dough around into a ball while it was kneaded. A very clever child, I was.
Bally Dough Bread was actually Onion-Dill Bread, and it was loaded with dried dill and minced onion. Let me tell you, it was one of the most delicious things in the entire world, and in thinking about how often we ate that bread, my dill obsession tracks!
IMHO, dill is delicious in pretty much anything, but it’s particularly scrumptious in Chicken Noodle Soup. It adds a bright note which contrasts beautifully with the rich, golden stock. Once you try it, you may never be able to have un-dilled soup again. (Can someone invent “purse dill” that we can keep on hand 24/7, please?)
I call this recipe “no-frill,” because the frills are very, very low. That said, if you’re looking for a 30-minute meal, this isn’t for you. But, I promise you this is the easiest and quickest way to get a hearty, homemade stock — and it comes together much quicker than boiling chicken bones and veggies scraps on the stove for a thousand+ hours.
No-Frill (with Lots of Dill) Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3-4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (around 1.5 to 2 pounds)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken [or veggie] Base
- 12 ounces egg noodles, preferably the extra-wide "Homestyle" type
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, loosely packed
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry and season liberally with kosher salt on both sides. Place the thighs skin-side-down in a cold, large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and turn the heat to medium. Without disturbing the chicken, let the chicken fat render until the schmaltz has become plentiful, around 5 minutes, then crank the heat up to high. Continue to sear, skin-side-down, for 5-6 minutes more or until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Turn each thigh and sear for 4-5 minutes more. Remove the partially cooked thighs to a clean plate, then carefully pour the rendered schmaltz into a heatproof ramekin or bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium. Carefully pour 1 tablespoon of the rendered schmaltz into the dutch oven and add the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 6-7 minutes or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add schmaltz as needed if the veggies start to look dry.
- Add the garlic and Better Than Bouillon and sauté for 2-3 minutes more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add 9 cups of water, the reserved chicken thighs, and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Remove the chicken thighs to a cutting board.
- Taste the soup and adjust for seasoning as needed — you'll want it to be slightly saltier than you'd prefer before you add in your noodles (so your noodles are seasoned to perfection). Carefully pour in the egg noodles, stir, and cook according to package instructions — usually 7-8 minutes for al dente.
- While the egg noodles cook, shred the chicken. Remove the skin and any excess fat, then shred the meat off the bones using two forks. When the noodles are al dente, add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the fresh dill and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls while still hot and serve with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. To reheat leftovers (because there's nothing better than leftover soup), add a generous splash of water before heating to loosen the mixture.
Notes:
Save the leftover schmaltz for another recipe. It's liquid gold!