Homestyle Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

Instructions

1. Pull the breast meat from the rotisserie chicken and shred it into bite-size pieces. Save any extra dark meat for another use, or add a little if you want a richer bowl.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften at the edges, about 6 minutes.
3. 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.
4. Add the stock, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a steady simmer, then lower the heat and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes so the vegetables turn tender and the broth tastes rounded.
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 in the shredded rotisserie chicken breast just long enough 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.