Step 1
Season one 3½–4-lb. whole chicken all over with 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and place in a large pot. (For even better-tasting meat, season chicken up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to cook.)
Step 2
Cut 2 medium onions into quarters. (No need to remove the onion skins; leaving them on helps the broth develop its golden color.) Trim and coarsely chop 2 medium carrots, peeled, and 2 celery stalks. Cut 2 heads of garlic in half crosswise. (These will eventually be strained out, so there’s no reason to be precious with your cuts here.)
Step 3
Place chopped vegetables, 2 sprigs dill, and 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns in pot with chicken. Pour in 14 cups cold water (or just enough to barely cover chicken) and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, adding water as needed to keep the chicken submerged, and skimming off any foam from surface with a large spoon, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 155°, 20–25 minutes.
Step 4
Using tongs, carefully lift chicken out of pot and transfer to a cutting board. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
Step 5
Arrange chicken breast side up. Grab a wing and pull it outward so you can see where it attaches to the body. Using a sharp boning or chef’s knife, cut through the joint to separate wing from breast (if you hit bone, you’re in the wrong spot; pull the wing out farther to help you get to the place where the joint meets the socket). Repeat with wing on other side.
Step 6
Cut through skin connecting 1 leg to carcass. Pull leg back until ball joint pops out of its socket; cut through joint to separate leg. Repeat with leg on other side. Cut along left side of breastbone (which runs right down the center of the breast). Angling your knife, cut breast meat away from carcass on left side. Repeat process on right side.
Step 7
Pull off and discard any skin from legs and breasts (removing this skin prevents excess fat from rendering into the broth; no need to discard skin on the wings). Return legs, wings, and what remains of the carcass to pot. (You should now have only the chicken breasts remaining on your cutting board.) Return soup to a simmer and cook, occasionally skimming fat from surface with spoon, until reduced by 1–2″, very flavorful, and leg meat is very tender and pulls apart easily, about 40 minutes.
Step 8
Meanwhile, shred cooled chicken breasts with 2 forks into bite-size pieces.
Step 9
Cut remaining 2 medium carrots, peeled, on a diagonal into ½” pieces. Thinly slice remaining 2 celery stalks, then finely chop enough dill to yield ¼ cup.
Step 10
Using tongs, transfer 2 chicken legs to cutting board and let cool slightly before shredding. Set a large fine-mesh sieve over another large pot. Strain broth into second pot; discard bones, carcass, wings, and vegetables.
Do Ahead: Broth and shredded chicken can be made 3 days ahead; refrigerate separately. Carrots and celery can be cut 3 days ahead; refrigerate. Broth and chicken can also be frozen, separately or combined, for up to 3 months.
Step 11
Bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 6 oz. ditalini and stir once. Cook 5 minutes. (If using a larger or longer-cooking pasta, cook it separately according to package directions rather than in the broth.) Add carrots, celery, and all of the shredded chicken meat to pot and cook until pasta is cooked through and carrots and celery are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes.
Step 12
Remove pot from heat and stir in dill so it stays bright and fresh; season very generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle chicken soup into bowls and season with more pepper.
Editor’s note: This chicken noodle soup recipe was first published in January 2020; it has been updated for style. Head this way for more of our favorite noodle soup recipes →