How to Make the Simplest, Most Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup, According to Jacques Pépin (and His Mother)

As much as we love summer and all of the amazing produce that comes with it (looking at you, tomatoes and peaches and corn ), by October we're excited about the chill in the air that means sweaters and pumpkins and apples —and all of the soups .

And no matter the season, we're always interested in the recipes Jacques Pépin suggests. The legendary French chef has helped us level up scrambled eggs , quiche , chicken salad , baked apples and more. On our latest jog through his recipe videos, which are so soothing to watch btw, we happened upon the super simple chicken noodle soup that he learned to make from his mother. It comes together quickly and we can't wait to make it for a speedy lunch or an easy dinner. Here's how to make it at your house.

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How to Make Jacques Pépin's Chicken Noodle Soup

This is one of those recipes that's barely a recipe, which means it's one of our favorite kinds of recipes. It's a simple dish that Pépin says that he "always has in my mind and my heart," which definitely made us smile. It was a dish his mother made and a dish that both his daughter and granddaughter love.

• Start with the stock. You can't have soup without stock, but you have some options here. In the video, Pépin starts with some of his homemade stock, then stirs in some bouillon base to bolster the flavor. He said you could also use boxed chicken stock. If you're looking for a vegetarian option, use veggie stock. After he adds the bouillon, he seasons it with salt and pepper. The amount depends on the kind of stock you're using.

• Add a little green. Pépin mentioned that he always has scallions in his fridge and he found some that were on the way out, which means that they were great for using in this soup. He chopped them up and tossed them into the broth. If you happen to have leeks, they'd be great here too.

• Use your noodle. After you bring the stock to a simmer, you add your noodles. Pépin likes to use vermicelli noodles, which are very thin egg noodles, but he also said that he's used leftover rice (he sometimes buys it at the local Chinese restaurant) or instant mashed potatoes (mind blown!) if he doesn't have noodles. He added about 2 ounces (about 1 cup) of vermicelli noodles to the broth and let the noodles boil until tender, which only took about 5 minutes.

• Don't forget the finishing touches. This soup is super simple, but like a lot of Pépin's recipe the devil's in the details. One thing he likes to add to this soup is cheese—Swiss cheese in particular. He grates the cheese, puts a few pinches of it in the bottom of the bowl and ladles the soup on top. He adds some snipped chives from his garden and lunch is served!

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