You’ve got the sniffles. It’s chilly outside. You want nothing more than to wrap yourself in a blanket and settle down with a mug of chicken noodle soup. Am I right?

This is the recipe for you. It’s miles better than anything from a box or a can, but isn’t quite so laborious as starting with a whole chicken and making stock from scratch. It’s the Goldilocks of chicken soups, and it’s just right.

This shortcut chicken soup gives you real shreds of meaty chicken and a broth with delicious extra richness. It’s a quicker version, but one that stays true in spirit and taste to the most old-fashioned sort of homemade chicken soup. Brothy, golden, nourishing. This is real chicken soup, just a little faster.

I prefer using chicken thighs. Not only do thighs stay tender and delicious when simmered, but their natural richness makes the soup more substantial. Buy bone-in thighs if you can; the bones make the broth even better.

The choice of noodles is a deeply personal matter. Some prefer swirly egg noodles. Others insist on linguini. Still others break spaghetti into little matchsticks. Use whatever noodle feels most comforting to you.

This soup omes together in less than an hour and makes the house smell fantastic.

Emma Christensen writes for TheKitchn.com, a national food and cooking blog. Submit comments or questions to kitchnapartmenttherapy.com.