A homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe made from scratch using a whole chicken. With a beautifully flavoured golden chicken broth, this is a classic everyoneΒ should know!
Made the old fashioned way by boiling a whole chicken, you can toss in any vegetables, noodles or pasta and itβs going to be amazing. And everybody knowns Chicken Soup is theΒ best soup for a cold!
Homemade ChickenΒ Noodle Soup β from scratch!
Simmering a whole chicken with root vegetables and herbs creates a delicious homemade stock for the soup, into which the chicken meat is shredded alongside chopped and sauteed vegetables.Β This is a Chicken Noodle Soup made the old fashioned way!
Regular readers know that βcoolβ is certainly not my middle name. Iβm not one for following food trends. I just like good food done right. Iβll give foam and cauliflower crust pizza a miss thanks! π
The BEST soup for a cold??
βEveryoneβ knows that when youβre struck down with Man Flu*, the only thing that will nurse you back to health isΒ Chicken soupβ¦.
While itβs questionable whether itβs beenΒ conclusively scientifically proven that Chicken soup is even better than medicine, hereβs 3 reasons why Chicken soup (noodle or otherwise) is a great remedy for a cold:
- Hydration from the natural salt in chicken;
- Warm non-creamy soup broth and steam helps clear nasal and throat passageways; and
- Immune boosting antioxidants and nutrition from carrots, celery, onion and garlic.
From a practical perspective, itβs light so itβs easy to stomach, doesnβt require much effort to chew or (heaven forbid!) the effort of a knife and fork. And even when youβre sick, you can still appreciate the tastiness of a beautiful Chicken Noodle soup!
* Man Flu official definition according to Dictionary.com: βa case of the common cold as suffered by a man, implying that he is exaggerating the debilitatingΒ effects of the illnessβ Just sayingββ¦..
How to make this good old fashioned chicken noodle soup
Yes thereβs more steps than quick and easy chicken noodle soup recipes, but it is so worth it because this broth is something money canβt buy!
Simmer (donβt boil!) a whole chicken with broth flavourings (celery, carrot, garlic, peppercorns, herbs) for 1.5 hours to 2 hours until the flesh is tender enough to shred without effort;
Remove scumΒ that floats to the surfaceΒ once or twice;
Remove the chickenΒ and the carrot etc;
Shred the chicken. Youβll need just under half for this recipe, save the rest for other uses;
Make it even healthier β and the broth even clearer! Refrigerate the broth so the fat hardens on the surface, then scoop it off.
Sauté onion, garlic, carrot and celery slowly β The slower, the better! The vegetables become sweeter with a more intense flavour;
Add homemade broth and noodles. Once the noodles are almost cooked, toss the chicken back in just to heat up;
Serve!
Best pasta for Chicken Noodle Soup
You can use any type of noodles or pasta for Chicken Noodle Soup.Β Short twisted egg noodles and pasta shapes are ideal β for ease of eating.
I tend to use whatever I have. For long straight pastas like fettuccine (which is what I used because I had it), just break them into 3 or 4 pieces for ease of eating.
How to ensure your soup broth is clear
One of the things we all love about a great chicken noodle soup is how clear the broth is. Transparent β yet full of flavour! Thereβs a few tricks to the clear broth:
Simmer the chicken really gently. Harder boil gets the chicken jiggling around = murkier broth
Scoop the scum off the surface (#2 in photo below);
Let the broth settle (or refrigerate overnight). Youβll find that the bottom of the broth becomes darker as βstuffβ settles on the base of the pot. Then gently pour the broth into the soup pot, leaving behind the darker broth that settled to the bottom of the pot;
DonβtΒ brown theΒ sautΓ©ed onion,Β carrots and celery. Brown veggies = brown broth!
Donβt stir the pasta while it boils. That activates the starch in the pasta, making the broth cloudier.
What to do with leftover chicken
You probably wonβt even use half the meat on the chicken for this Chicken Noodle Soup. So hereβs a few ideas for things to make with the leftover cooked chicken:
White Chicken EnchiladasΒ orΒ QuesadillasΒ (just pan fry shredded chicken briefly with Quesadilla seasoning)
ChineseΒ Fried RiceΒ or try THAI Fried Rice!
Make aΒ Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup!
I kept the veggies in the soup fairly classic, using just onion, carrots and celery. But donβt let my lack of imagination deter you β add whatever you want! β Nagi xx
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup β fromΒ scratch!
Watch how to make it
Homemade chicken noodle soup recipe video!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (from scratch!)
Ingredients
Homemade Broth:
- 1.8 kg / 3.5 lb whole chicken , rinsed and cleaned, the best quality you can afford (Note 1)
- 1 head of garlic , cut in half horiztonally
- 2 carrots , cut into chunks
- 2 celery ribs , cut into chunks
- 2 onions , peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves , fresh or dried
- 4 thyme sprigs (or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves)
- 9 β 10 cups water (enough to just cover chicken)
Soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion , diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 medium carrots , cut in quarters lengthwise then chopped
- 2 celery ribs , cut into 1 cm/ 1/2β³ thick pieces
- 2 cups shredded chicken (from homemade broth)
- 2 litres / 2 quarts homemade chicken broth (above)
- 200 g/ 6 oz egg noodles or pasta of choice (Note 3)
- 2 β 3 tsp Vegeta or other stock powder (Note 4)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 thyme sprigs , optional
- 1 bay leaf , optional
- Finely chopped parsley , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Broth:
- Place the chicken in a large pot. Add remaining Broth ingredients, then add enough water so the chicken is just covered (too much water = weak broth).Β
- Cover with lid, bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Then adjust heat so itβs simmering GENTLY with the lid on. Simmer 1.5 hours until chicken is tender and easily comes off the bone. (Or 8 hours on low in a slow cooker)
- Scoop scum off surface once or twice during first 30 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to pan. Shred meat and discard bones. You'll only need half the chicken meat, save the rest for another purpose.
- Remove carrots, celery etc from broth, and discard. Optional: Chop carrot and celery, add back into soup with chicken. (Note 5)
- Optional: Refrigerate soup for a few hours until the fat sets, then scoop the fat off the surface (I do this, healthier & makes soup clearer).
Soup:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium meat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots, cook for 5 minutes until softened and a bit sweet, donβt let them brown.
- Turn heat up to medium high. Gently pour 8 cups broth in (top up with water if necessary), leaving behind residue settled in the bottom of the broth pot.Β
- Add Vegeta (stock powder), thyme, bay leaf and pepper. Stir.
- When it starts bubbling, add noodles/pasta. Cook for time per packet MINUS 2 minutes. Stir gently only once or twice (Note 6).
- Add half the chicken, stir (it warms quickly), then season with salt and pepper to taste β season well!
- Serve soup immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.
Recipe Notes:
1. Chicken size: This recipe will work fine for any chicken larger than 1.5kg/3lb. Any smaller and the broth flavour may be slightly lacking but you can just top up flavour with Vegeta, or chicken or vegetable stock powder/crumbled bouillon cube.Β Will also work with: drumsticks, bone in skin on thighs. 3. Noodles: Any pasta or noodles work perfectly here. Short, wide twisted noodles/pasta are ideal for ease of eating. Break Lon strand pasta into 3 or 4. I typically use whatever I have β I used fettuccine in the photos/video. 4. Vegeta β Vegeta is a brand of vegetable stock powder, labelled βGourmet Seasoningβ and βAll Purpose Seasoningβ in the US & Canada. See here for a photo, video, and here it is on Amazon US. Read in this post about Vegeta and MSG misconceptions! Itβs my favourite stock powder to use in soup broths because of the flavour, colour, clarity and that you get little βbitsβ in the soup.Β Itβs sold in the herb & spice aisle of supermarkets here in Australia. You can use stock powder (same amount)or crumbled bouillon cube (1 for each teaspoon)Β β use chicken or vegetable.Β 5. Cooked carrots & celery β I tend to discard because stove simmering for this long makes them extremely soft, bordering on mushy. If using slow cooker, they tend to have a better texture so I chop and toss them in (like in Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup). But you can add them if you want β extra veg! 6. Stirring lotsΒ = activates pasta starch = cloudy broth 7. How to store Chicken Noodle Soup: Noodles bloat! So best to separate the noodles and veggies from the soup, then store separately. Will keep for 3 β 4 days in the fridge. Broth will freeze for months. Things to make with Leftover Chicken: Youβll only use 1/2 the chicken, if that. See in post for a list of suggestions of things to make! 8. Nutrition per serving.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2017. Updated with new words, new photos, a better video. Very minor changes to recipe to streamline / improve flavour slightly!
Life of Dozer
When I take him to a park, all I have to do is find a bird in a tree. Then he exercises himself.
Great recipe! Added about 5 more cups of water and a small pack of chicken nibbles along with the 1.8kg whole chicken. Added slightly more veg as well. Used Ramen noodles. Very comforting. Thank you for another 5-star recipe, Nagi! x
Your recipes are always spot on and yes, they make us all better cooks. Love your accuracy/reliable.
Good morning Nagi
I love all your recipie and all the notes you provide. Your recipies are the best Iβve come across ever. Thank you for making me a good cook.
Cheers Christina
Hi, would this work with half a cooked chook? Flavours would be different I know.
Love your recipes π
Hi Nagi. Can you freeze the leftover chicken?
Sure can Melissa! N x
Oh my this was the best chicken soup Iβve ever made, so tasty. Your recipes are the best! Will definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing your delishciousnessπ₯°
Havenβt tried any recipes yet but would like to say l will. They are so easy to follow no complicated language. When l have cooked my first meal l will be in contact. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much Ronald!!! N x
Made this for dinner tonight. Slow cooked the chicken 8hrs. The broth was clear and sooo tasty. Really is so much better than the store bought stock. Thanks Nagiβ¦ Another winner! β€οΈ
Thanks Nagi for another 10/10 recipe! So worth it to make your own stock. Used brown rice spaghetti to make it gluten free, but still so delish!!!
I made a chicken vegetable soup last week and it was quite bland.
I found your recipe and made it today. What can I say? Delicious! Thanks Nagi β€
Hi Nagi, I am a HUGE fan of your recipes, they are always my go to when I feel like trying something new! Do you think instead of noodles I could add dried barley and lentils? I am going to try this recipe tomorrow π
This is my go to recipe for chicken noodle soup from scratch. I am glad I ordered the Vegeta for my second and third batches of soup. Thank you for all the helpful notes, Nagi.
Made this chicken soup from scratch following your recipe, absolutely delicious, Iβm making it again tomorrow. It is so worth making your own stock. Thanks Nagi for another go to dish.
The best home cooked taste for chicken noodle soup! Broth was so hearty and super simple to make. Definitely keeping this as a staple recipe for winter
Iβm so glad you loved it Sandra!!! N x
Another great recipe Nagi.
Cooked my chicken and stock in the pressure cooker to speed up the process for a mid week dinner.
Didnβt add any salt as the Vegeta is salty enough.
Delicious π€€
Hi, how long did this take in the pressure cooker?
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Our whole family loves it!!! Is there a reason why we season at the end? Will it affect it if I season before I put in the noodles? That way I donβt have to stir so much after.
can i use chicken thighs instead?
Hi Amy, as long as they are bone in that will be fine β I mention this in the notes π N x
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for so many wonderful recipes; all nicely outside the ordinary.
This is really a one-stop website for culinary over-indulgence!
And heaps of pats for Dozer!
Delicious, classic chicken soup! I would suggest using all of the broth and all of the chicken, double the rest of the soup ingredients, and leave out the pasta/noodles. Freeze the soup in smaller batches and add the pasta or noodles when reheating. So much better than canned soup!
Very excited to one day try to make the broth however for a quick make would it be possible to buy broth and then still make the soup portion of the recipe as is? Thanks!! Absolutely love your recipes theyβre a staple in our house.
Hi Krystal, give this recipe a try instead π https://fast-enhancement.today/chicken-and-vegetable-noodle-soup/%3C/a%3E N x
Thank you so much! I really canβt tell you how much I appreciate you actually responding to comments. Made your quick Asian beef noodles tonight which has become a house staple canβt wait to make the soup tomorrow.