Chicken Soup

Ask any Jewish grandmother—a big bowl of steaming, golden chicken broth full of veggies and tender meat will cure whatever ails you. And this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe, from New York’s 2nd Avenue Deli, is one of the best out there for making a classic version of the canonical “Jewish penicillin.”

The chicken stock—and soup—is extra rich because it calls for both a whole raw chicken plus additional chicken parts, like bone-in chicken breasts, thighs, or legs. All the meat goes into a soup pot or large Dutch oven together with some celery, and you simmer it on the stovetop until it has released its flavor and fat. The whole chicken comes out (so the meat doesn’t overcook), and you simmer the remaining chicken parts until the chicken broth is fully flavored. Use the cook time to remove the meat from the whole bird; you’ll add the diced or shredded chicken back to the pot, along with wide egg noodles, matzo balls, or rice. For the best chicken noodle soup, we like to cook the pasta separately and add it to each serving so that it maintains an al dente texture. If you’re planning to eat the soup all in one go, though, feel free to cook the noodles in the broth.

This is a pretty simple, easy recipe, so if you like adding other flavors to your soup, you can adapt the basic idea to suit your tastes. You could add a bay leaf or some fresh thyme or fresh parsley to the broth when you add the vegetables, serve it with a squeeze of lemon juice, or add a little garlic to boost the soup’s healing properties. You could even take an Italian approach by seasoning the broth with some oregano and adding some store-bought tortellini for a slightly less classic chicken noodle soup.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘The 2nd Ave. Deli Cookbook’ by Sharon Lebewohl, Rena Bulkin, and Jack Lebewohl. Buy the full book on Amazon.