Description
This Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup recipe combines deeply flavorful roasted chicken wings stock with tender sous vide chicken breasts and perfectly cooked orecchiette pasta. Charred onions add a smoky depth, while fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon brighten the hearty, comforting broth. With precision cooking techniques and long simmering, this soup transforms a classic into a vibrant and nourishing meal perfect for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Stock and Broth
- 2 pounds (900g/about 10) chicken wings
- 1 large (8-ounce/225g) yellow onion
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 quarts water (as needed during cooking)
Chicken Breast
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound/450g)
- 2 tablespoons reserved chicken fat (from roasted wings)
- Kosher salt, to season
Pasta and Garnish
- 1 1/2 cups (4 ounces/115g) dried orecchiette pasta (or other shape)
- 1/4 bunch (1/2 ounce/15g) fresh dill sprigs, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Roasting Chicken Wings: Preheat your oven to 550°F (290°C) and position the rack in the center. Spread the chicken wings evenly on an unlined rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes until golden brown, which enhances the stock’s richness.
- Preparing Stock Base: Remove the wings from the oven and carefully drain the rendered chicken fat into a heatproof container, reserving it for later use. Pour about 1/2 cup water onto the baking sheet and scrape up the browned bits, then transfer the wings along with this liquid to a 3-quart saucepot. Add 1 1/2 quarts of water to cover.
- Simmering the Stock: Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil over high heat for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for 2 hours, topping up with water as needed to keep the volume consistent, allowing flavors to deepen beautifully.
- Cooking Chicken Breasts sous Vide: While stock simmers, preheat a sous vide cooker to 140°F (60°C). Season chicken breasts generously with salt, place them in zipper-lock or vacuum bags with 2 tablespoons of reserved chicken fat, and seal using air displacement or a vacuum sealer. Cook for 2 hours to ensure perfectly tender, juicy chicken.
- Charring Onions: Heat a 12-inch sauté pan over high heat. Peel the onion and cut into thick 1-inch slices. Char the slices until both sides are blackened, imparting a smoky flavor, then add these to the stock pot and simmer for an additional hour.
- Straining the Stock: After a total of 3 hours simmering, strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer to remove solids like chicken wings and onion. Discard these solids, return the clear stock to the pot, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cooking Pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette pasta until al dente. Drain well and toss with the remaining reserved chicken fat to add richness and prevent sticking.
- Assembling the Soup: Dice the sous vide chicken breasts into 1/2-inch pieces and divide equally into the bottom of 4 serving bowls. Add the cooked pasta and chopped fresh dill to each bowl. Ladle hot chicken stock over the top and finish with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately to enjoy the vibrant flavors.
Notes
- Using sous vide ensures the chicken breasts stay moist and tender without overcooking.
- Roasting the wings and charring the onion add complex, smoky flavors that deepen the broth’s character.
- Reserved chicken fat is an important flavor component used to enrich the pasta and chicken before serving.
- If you don’t have sous vide equipment, chicken breasts can be poached gently in the strained hot stock until just cooked through.
- Add water as needed during simmering to maintain the correct stock volume and avoid overly concentrated flavors.
- Orecchiette pasta works great, but you can substitute other small shapes like ditalini or elbow macaroni.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 324 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1233 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Cholesterol: 116 mg
