Chicken Noodle Stew

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

- 3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

- 1 quart water

- 1 quart chicken stock, or more if needed

- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

- 2 stalks celery plus the leaves, thinly sliced

- 1 teaspoon salt, and more to taste

- 3 whole peppercorns

- 1 cup diced canned tomatoes

- 4 ounces fine egg soup noodles or angel hair pasta

- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. In a large heatproof bowl, set the chicken breasts. Pour enough boiling water into the bowl to cover the chicken by 1-inch. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Lift the breasts from the bowl of water and set them in a soup pot. Discard the soaking water.

3. To the pot, add the carrots, 1 quart water, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and skim the surface thoroughly for several minutes until there is no more scum. Add the onion, celery, salt, peppercorns, and tomatoes to the pot. Return the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and set on the cover askew. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts registers 165 degrees.

4. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and leave until cool enough to handle. Let the soup barely simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. If using angel hair, break it over a large bowl into 2-inch lengths; the soup noodles will already be broken up. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is tender but still has some bite. Drain into a colander but do not rinse.

6. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the breasts. Using 2 forks pulling apart in opposite directions, shred the chicken. Return it to the pot.

7. Add the chicken and noodles to the soup. Return the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if you like. If you see the peppercorns when you stir the pot, pull them out and discard them (they can be hard to find; warn diners that they might get a peppercorn in their bowl). There should be enough broth in the pot to make a stewy bowl. Add more if necessary, 1 cup at a time.

8. Ladle the stew into bowls and sprinkle generously with parsley.

Tips and Variations

- You can customize this stew by adding different vegetables, such as potatoes or peas.

- For extra heat, add hot sauce or sriracha to your bowl of stew.

- Serve the stew with chunky croutons for added texture.

- For a heartier meal, add a poached egg on top of each serving.