Farmhouse Chicken and Noodles
A simple farmhouse classic, these old-fashioned Chicken and Noodles are total comfort food!
Servings 4 quarts total (about 8 servings of 2 cups each)
Calories 300kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large whole chicken, gizzards removed (about 5 ½ - 6 lbs.)
- 1 celery rib, cut into 4 large chunks
- 1 large carrot, cut into 4 large chunks
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into 4 large chunks
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 quarts cool water (or just enough to barely cover the chicken)
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb. uncooked egg noodles (or other pasta of choice)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast-side up in a 6-8 quart Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot. Arrange the celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf and thyme around the chicken. Add cool water to just barely cover the chicken. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper.
- Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 1 - 1 ½ hours, or until the chicken is falling apart. Turn off the heat and let it rest in the broth for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the broth and shred the meat into medium-size pieces. Discard the skin and bones.
- Strain the broth and return to the pot. Discard the vegetables and herbs.
- Return chicken to the pot with the broth. Bring to a simmer; add the noodles. Cook for about 6-8 minutes for wide egg noodles, or until the pasta is al dente (cooked, but still slightly firm). Turn off the heat; stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Video
Notes
- To prepare this recipe in a slow cooker, cook the chicken, vegetables, herbs, and water in a Crock Pot on LOW for about 8 hours (or until the chicken is fall-apart tender). Strain the broth and shred the chicken, as instructed, and then transfer to a pot on the stovetop to boil the pasta.
- Use a whole chicken for the best flavor. You can substitute with bone-in, skin-on chicken parts of your choice, such as chicken thighs or chicken breast, but I don't recommend using boneless, skinless chicken pieces here.
- Just about any noodles will work here. I've shown wide egg noodles, but cut spaghetti, orzo, and ditalini are all good options as well.
- Don't be shy with the salt and pepper. Taste the broth as you go, and add more salt and pepper as needed. It's a big pot of broth, so it needs plenty of seasoning.
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions for al dente, so that they don't get mushy and overdone. If you're prepping the chicken and broth in advance, wait to add the pasta until just before serving.
- For a shortcut, skip the homemade chicken broth and use 12 cups of high-quality store-bought broth. Shred the meat from a large store-bought rotisserie chicken (you should have about 3-4 cups of shredded meat total). Simmer the broth and the chicken, add the noodles, and cook until the noodles are tender.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 1351mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg