Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• Stock:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 small onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped medium (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 quart water
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves, about 12 ounces (chicken tenders work well too)
• Soup:
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 ounces egg noodles
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Stock: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ground chicken, onion, and carrot; cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is no longer pink, 5-10 minutes (do not brown the chicken).
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the water, broth, bay leaves, salt, and chicken breasts; cover and cook 30 minutes.
3. Remove the lid, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. (If the liquid is already boiling when the lid is removed, remove the chicken breasts immediately and continue with the recipe.) Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and set aside.
4. Continue to cook the stock 20 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle boil.
5. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pot, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Let the liquid settle about 5 minutes and skim off the fat.
6. For the soup: return the stock to the large pan and set over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until a smooth slurry forms; stir into the stock and bring to a gentle boil.
7. Add the egg noodles and continue to cook until all the vegetables and noodles are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
8. Meanwhile, remove the skin and bones from the reserved cooked chicken and discard. Shred the meat with your fingers or two forks. Add the shredded chicken and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.