Italian Chicken Soup

I filmed a video this week. I didn't plan to — I was making chicken soup on a rainy Thursday, the light was good through the kitchen window, and I just set my phone on the spice rack that Gary built into the side of the cabinets and pressed record.

It was forty-seven minutes of raw footage. I talked the whole time like I was explaining things to a friend I couldn't see. How to cut a whole chicken into pieces. Why you roast the bones first for depth. How to know when the broth is ready. What vegetables to add and when. The way the kitchen smelled while it cooked.

I watched it back that night after the kids were asleep. I laughed at myself three times. I looked directly at the pot instead of the camera for most of it. My hair was in a bun that slowly escaped over the course of the video. None of that mattered as much as I thought it would, because the information was good. I knew what I was talking about and it showed.

I didn't post it. But I sent it to Kara and asked for honest feedback. She called me back in an hour and said, "Michelle. You have to post this." I said it was too long and too raw. She said, "Edit it. That's why editing exists."

I don't know yet what I'll do. But something shifted this week. The phone-as-camera thing worked better than I expected. The talking-while-cooking thing came naturally. And the chicken soup was magnificent — rich and golden and healing, the kind that makes you feel taken care of just from holding the bowl.

This is the soup from that Thursday — the one I made while the rain hit the windows and the phone sat propped on Gary’s spice rack, recording everything. Italian chicken soup felt like the right choice that day because it rewards patience: you can’t rush it, and the slow process of building that broth gave me something to actually talk about while the camera rolled. If I do edit that footage and eventually post it, this is the recipe you’ll see me make — so I figured it deserved to live here first.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 20 min | Total Time: 1 hr 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 3 to 4 lbs), cut into pieces, or 3 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
10 cups water
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dried small pasta (ditalini, orzo, or small shells)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

Brown the chicken. In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. This step builds the deep, golden flavor in the broth.
Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring frequently.
Build the broth. Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot. Pour in the 10 cups of water and add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Simmer low and slow. Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through and the broth is rich and golden. Skim any foam from the surface as needed during the first 20 minutes.
Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken pieces with tongs and let cool slightly. Pull the meat from the bones, shred into bite-sized pieces, and discard the bones and skin. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
Cook the pasta. Bring the soup back to a boil and stir in the pasta. Cook uncovered according to package directions until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan. Best served with crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Nutrition (per serving)

Italian Chicken Soup — The Recipe That Made Me Press Record