Directions

1. Generously season the chicken with salt. In a 4-quart pot, heat 2 teaspoons of oil until shimmering. Add 4 pieces of chicken, skin-side down. Cook until deep golden underneath. Turn the thighs, and cook on the other side until golden. Transfer chicken to a deep dish or bowl. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken. (Note: The chicken is not cooked through yet; it’ll finish cooking in the soup.)
2. Spoon out of the pot, and discard, all but 2 teaspoons of oil the cooking of the chicken has produced. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot. Season with salt. Sauté until the onions are slightly tender and golden, about 2 minutes (if the pot begins to get dry, add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil).
3. Return the chicken to the pot, pouring in any juices from the dish. Add the water and parsley to the pot. Increase heat to high. Once the soup begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the pasta to the soup and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the pasta is as tender as you like it.
4. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred the meat from half of the chicken thighs. Save the meat from the remaining thighs to use in another recipe later in the week (it’s a great add-in for the Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad, the Kale & Almond Fried Rice, or your favorite chicken salad recipe).
5. Stir the shredded chicken into the pot. Ladle the soup into deep bowls, and serve hot. Variation: Without the noodles, this makes a wonderful bone broth for use in other recipes. *GLUTEN-FREE IF YOU USE GLUTEN-FREE NOODLES