Steps
- Build the pot: Place the drumsticks in a large pot along with the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and salt. Pour in the bone broth, making sure the liquid fully covers the chicken and vegetables. Add a little water if needed.
- Bring to a boil: Bring everything to a hard boil and let it boil for about 10 minutes.
- Simmer: Turn the heat down to medium-low so the soup simmers. Cook for about 45 minutes, until the chicken is falling off the bone.
- Remove the bones: Using tongs, remove all the bones from the pot, leaving the chicken meat in the soup.
- Add squash and mushrooms: Add the chayote, zucchini, and mushrooms. Turn the heat up and cook for about 10 minutes until tender.
- Add the bok choy: Add the chopped bok choy and cook just until the leaves wilt and the stems are tender-crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Cook the noodles: Cook the millet and brown rice noodles separately according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the miso: Place the miso in a small bowl. Add a little hot water or a ladle of broth from the pot and stir until fully dissolved. Turn off the heat under the soup, then stir the miso in. Do not let the soup boil after adding miso.
- Serve: Add a portion of noodles to each bowl and ladle the soup over the top. Finish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon if you like, though our kids love it either way!
Notes
Add the miso at the very end with the heat off. Boiling destroys its beneficial bacteria, and a gentler finish helps preserve them. Miso is a fermented soybean paste, and beyond the live cultures, it brings enzymes, minerals, and compounds created during fermentation that support gut health. Mellow white miso is the mildest and sweetest variety, which is why kids love it. Bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable rich in prebiotic fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. It goes in last so it stays bright green and tender rather than overcooked. Between the collagen-rich bone broth, the fiber from all those vegetables, and the miso, this soup is about as gut-nourishing as a single bowl gets. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, and the flavor deepens overnight. Store the noodles separately from the broth so they don’t get soft.
