Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup with Seared Chicken Thighs

Instructions

1. If using raw thighs, pat them dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the thighs skin side down, undisturbed, until the skin is deeply golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and brown the second side about 4 minutes more, then transfer to a plate. If using rotisserie chicken, skip the sear and start the vegetables in the olive oil.
2. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat, if needed. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook over medium heat, scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables soften at the edges, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and coats the vegetables.
3. For raw thighs, return the chicken and any juices to the pot. Add the stock, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a bare simmer, then lower the heat and cook gently, uncovered, until the thighs are very tender and register 175F at the bone, 30 to 35 minutes. For rotisserie chicken, simmer the broth and vegetables with the bay leaf for 15 to 20 minutes so the base tastes rounded before the noodles go in. Skim any foam as it rises.
4. If using thighs, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest 10 minutes. Discard the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces. If using rotisserie chicken, shred it now and keep it ready for the end.
5. Discard the bay leaf and taste the broth. If it needs more backbone, stir in the bouillon paste a teaspoon at a time, then season with salt and pepper until the broth tastes savory on its own.
6. Bring the broth to a boil, add the egg noodles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just barely tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Pull the pot off the heat right at al dente since the noodles keep softening in the hot broth. If the noodles drink up too much broth, loosen the pot with another splash of stock or water.
7. Stir the shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken back in to warm through, then stir in the parsley. Taste once more and serve hot with extra black pepper and more red pepper flakes if you want it punchier.
8. For make-ahead, cook and store the soup without the noodles for up to 4 days; bring it back to a simmer and boil the noodles in the broth just before serving.