Chicken Noodle Soup

Soften the mirepoix

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the celery has lost its crunch. Do not brown the vegetables.

Build the broth

Pour in the stock and add the bay leaves, thyme, and the remaining salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer.

Poach the chicken, or use rotisserie meat

Meat pulled from a store rotisserie chicken works here and saves a step, so use it without apology. To start from raw breasts instead, slide them into the simmering broth and cook for about 15 minutes, until the thickest part reads 165F (74C) on an instant-read thermometer. Lift them out, shred with two forks, and return the meat to the pot. If using already cooked chicken, add it now and simmer 5 minutes to heat through.

Cook the noodles in the pot only if serving now

Raise the heat to a gentle boil, add the noodles, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender with no chalky center. Noodles left sitting in hot broth keep drinking it up. By the next day they have swelled into mush and the soup has gone thick and cloudy. When there will be leftovers, boil the noodles separately in salted water, drain, and add a scoop to each bowl before ladling the soup over.

Season and serve

Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Taste and add salt until the chicken flavor comes forward.

Storage. The broth keeps 4 days refrigerated and freezes 3 months. Freeze it without noodles and cook fresh ones at serving time.