Chicken Noodle Soup

Steps

1. Put the chicken thighs, the stock, the bay leaves and a good grind of pepper in a large pot and bring it to a bare simmer.

   10 min

2. Skim the grey foam off the top for the first few minutes. Skimmed broth stays clear; unskimmed broth turns cloudy.

   5 min

3. Simmer 30 minutes with the lid ajar.

   30 min

4. Meanwhile cut the carrots into coins, the celery into short pieces, the onion into small dice and the leek into rings. Wash the leek well — grit sits between its layers.

   10 min

5. Lift the chicken out, add the vegetables to the broth and simmer 15 minutes.

   15 min

6. Shred the chicken with two forks and return it to the pot.

   8 min

7. Add the cooked noodles, taste for salt and heat it through for 2 minutes. Boil the noodles separately, never in the pot — in the broth they swell and drink it dry overnight.

   3 min

8. Serve with the chopped parsley on top.

   2 min

Serving suggestion

A slice of dark rye bread and nothing else.

Storage

Three days in the fridge. Keep the noodles in a separate box if you can.

Notes

Bone-in thighs give a better broth. Pull the meat off after the 30 minutes and put the bones back for the last 15.