If I were to choose one dish that is a quintessential motherly dish, it’s chicken soup. It’s perfect any time — winter, spring, summer, or fall, whether you’re feeling under the weather or not. It’s a complete meal in a bowl that’s nutritious and restorative — not to mention low-fat (when the fat is skimmed) and delicious.

Chicken soup keeps for days, freezes well, and the boiled chicken can be used for countless other dishes. Chicken soup is one of the easiest recipes to make. It takes no more than half an hour to prepare, and cooks on its own for a few hours while you go about your life (or are busy teaching your kids!).

Whenever my daughter Stephanie got sick, we had our routine: First stop was the doctor, then to the pharmacy to get the prescribed medicine, and finally to the supermarket to pick up the ingredients for this soup. Once home, the soup was simmering on the stove within 15 minutes.

Steps

1. Make the broth: In a narrow, deep pot just large enough to hold the chickens (about a 10- to 12-quart capacity), place the chickens, onions, celery, carrots, parsnips, and parsley. (Make sure you use a narrow pot rather than a wide one. Otherwise, you may have to use too much water to cover the chickens.) Add just enough cold water to barely cover the chickens (ideally, not more than 5 quarts or 20 cups).
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer (rapidly boiling soup or stock often makes it look cloudy instead of clear) and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. (You’re seasoning here because you want the chicken to have some flavor when you use it later in other dishes. The soup will be seasoned again later.)
3. Simmer the broth, uncovered, for at least 3 hours. Season with 2½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. (Taste. If it tastes like chicken, it’s ready. If not, let it cook a bit longer and taste again. It can cook for another hour as long as it is barely simmering, but no more than 4 hours or the chicken will dry out.)
4. When the broth is done, turn off the heat, lift the chicken from the pot with slotted spoons or a skimmer, and set them aside in a shallow bowl or baking sheet until cool enough to handle.
5. Strain the broth into a clean 6- to 8-quart pot; discard the solids. If not making the soup right away, cool and refrigerate so you can scrape off the solidified fat from the surface before continuing. Otherwise, allow the stock to sit undisturbed for at least 10 minutes and spoon off the fat that rises to the surface.
6. Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
7. Make the soup: Add diced carrots and celery to the simmering broth, and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes (see Note). Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
8. While the vegetables are cooking, pick the meat from the chicken, leaving the pieces as large as possible, and set aside. Discard the bones.
9. Serve the soup: Add 2 cups of the cooked chicken to the soup. Place the cooked noodles in serving bowls. Ladle the broth, chicken, and vegetables into bowls, sprinkle with fresh chopped dill, and serve.