Homemade Chicken Soup from Scratch
I used to drop raw chicken straight into a pot of water and wonder why my soup tasted flat. Now I salt the thighs and drumsticks, let them sit for ten minutes, pat them bone dry and sear them hard in the Dutch oven until the skin turns deep gold. That browned layer stuck to the bottom of the pot is where most of the flavor comes from.
The other trick is splitting the simmer in two. The chicken comes out as soon as it’s cooked, so the meat stays juicy, and only the bones and skin go back in for a long, lazy bubble with the onions, parsnip and a fat bunch of dill. Honestly, the kitchen smells completely different by hour two. I ladle it over tiny gluten-free star pasta, cooked in its own pot so it doesn’t swell overnight.
A rainy-day pot of homemade chicken soup from scratch, built on bone-in dark meat. Tender shredded chicken, sweet carrot chunks, a clear golden broth. It takes about four hours, mostly hands-off, and the soup keeps five days in the fridge or three months in the freezer.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Sprinkle the kosher salt all over the chicken pieces and let them sit for 10 minutes. Pat them very dry with paper towels so the skin browns instead of steaming.3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the chicken in skin side down, in batches if needed, and sear 5 to 6 minutes until deep golden, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. The chicken won't be cooked through yet.1 tbsp olive oil
- Return all the chicken to the pot. Tuck the quartered onions, carrots, parsnip and celery around it, then pile the whole parsley and dill on top and scatter in the peppercorns.2 large yellow onions, 3 large carrots, 1 parsnip, 2 ribs celery, 1 large bunch fresh parsley, 1 bunch fresh dill, 8 whole black peppercorns
- Pour in the cold water until everything is just covered. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered for 35 to 40 minutes, until the thickest thigh reads 175°F.10 cups cold water
- Lift out the chicken and the carrot chunks and set them aside. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat, refrigerate it with the carrots, and drop the bones and skin back into the pot. Simmer very gently, partially covered, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the bones, skin, spent vegetables and herbs. Skim the fat from the surface, then season with salt and pepper to taste.freshly ground black pepper
- Cook the stelline in a saucepan of salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and keep it separate from the soup.6 oz gluten-free stelline (star pasta)
- Slice the reserved carrots and return them to the broth with the shredded chicken. Warm through for 5 minutes, ladle over bowls of stelline, and finish with chopped fresh dill.2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Nutrition
Notes
Swap the water for low-sodium chicken broth if you want an even deeper flavor. Regular stelline or orzo works fine if you don't need the soup gluten-free.
You might also like our Authentic French Beef Bourguignon.
patting the chicken dry before searing made such a difference, the skin actually browned this time instead of going gray. tossed in a bay leaf bc i had one. kids ate it over orzo no complaints