A homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe made from scratch using a whole chicken. With a beautifully flavoured golden chicken broth, this is a classic everyone should know!
Made the old fashioned way by boiling a whole chicken, you can toss in any vegetables, noodles or pasta and it’s going to be amazing. And everybody knowns Chicken Soup is the best soup for a cold!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – 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. This is a Chicken Noodle Soup made the old fashioned way!
Regular readers know that “cool” is certainly not my middle name. I’m not one for following food trends. I just like good food done right. I’ll give foam and cauliflower crust pizza a miss thanks! 😂
The BEST soup for a cold??
“Everyone” knows that when you’re struck down with Man Flu*, the only thing that will nurse you back to health is Chicken soup….
While it’s questionable whether it’s been conclusively scientifically proven that Chicken soup is even better than medicine, here’s 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, it’s light so it’s easy to stomach, doesn’t require much effort to chew or (heaven forbid!) the effort of a knife and fork. And even when you’re sick, you can still appreciate the tastiness of a beautiful Chicken Noodle soup!
* Man Flu official definition according to Dictionary.com: “a case of the common cold as suffered by a man, implying that he is exaggerating the debilitating effects of the illness” Just saying’…..
How to make this good old fashioned chicken noodle soup
Yes there’s more steps than quick and easy chicken noodle soup recipes, but it is so worth it because this broth is something money can’t buy!
Simmer (don’t 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 scum that floats to the surface once or twice;
Remove the chicken and the carrot etc;
Shred the chicken. You’ll need just under half for this recipe, save the rest for other uses;
Make it even healthier – 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 – 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. Short twisted egg noodles and pasta shapes are ideal – 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 – yet full of flavour! There’s 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). You’ll find that the bottom of the broth becomes darker as “stuff” 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;
Don’t brown the sautéed onion, carrots and celery. Brown veggies = brown broth!
Don’t 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 won’t even use half the meat on the chicken for this Chicken Noodle Soup. So here’s a few ideas for things to make with the leftover cooked chicken:
White Chicken Enchiladas or Quesadillas (just pan fry shredded chicken briefly with Quesadilla seasoning)
Make a Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup!
I kept the veggies in the soup fairly classic, using just onion, carrots and celery. But don’t let my lack of imagination deter you – add whatever you want! – Nagi xx
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – from scratch!
Watch how to make it
Homemade chicken noodle soup recipe video!
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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 – 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/ 1/2″ 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 – 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).
- Cover with lid, bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Then adjust heat so it’s 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, don’t 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.
- 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 – 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. 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 – I used fettuccine in the photos/video. 4. Vegeta – Vegeta is a brand of vegetable stock powder, labelled “Gourmet Seasoning” and “All Purpose Seasoning” 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! It’s my favourite stock powder to use in soup broths because of the flavour, colour, clarity and that you get little “bits” in the soup. It’s 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) – use chicken or vegetable. 5. Cooked carrots & celery – 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 – extra veg! 6. Stirring lots = 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 – 4 days in the fridge. Broth will freeze for months. Things to make with Leftover Chicken: You’ll 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.
Sorry if this is a stupid question but what is the best way to clean a whole chicken? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, I’m unsure what you mean about cleaning a whole chicken – I don’t ever clean mine, I simply pat them dry if they need it – N x
Currently in process of making your chicken soup recipe — it smells amazing. Really love the info about your dog Dozer too. A website that combines cooking and dogs, what could be better? Nothing!
Thanks so much Cindi!!
This is my new go to Chicken Noodle Soup. i made this for my godsister’s sister that is in the hospital. I like to boil the noodles separately as I have the tendency to put too many egg noodles in my soup. They also can become mushy as they sit in the hot/warm soup liquor, so this time I waited until the soup was luke warm to add the noodles. Delicious and a keeper! So glad that I discovered your site!!!
This is my favorite recipe! Thank you for sharing
I always add the noodles in the bowl, just before I attack.
What a great gift! Food is the best medicine ❤️
Oh my goodness!…goodness being the key word! My sister-in-law recently got out of the hospital after a life-threatening situation. She couldn’t eat anything without becoming violently ill. I have loved your recipes in the past…curry paste/chicken curry best thing my family has ever tasted….and was searching for something that might work for her. This soup was truly a miracle! It’s not only crazy delicious, but she was able to eat it and get her digestive system working again. Her medical team wants to pass out your website info! This is a recipe my family requests regularly and I make it any time anyone has so much as a sniffle (I know that encourages a bit of histrionics here, but I’m ok with that 😉). Thank you for so many incredibly delicious recipes!
My husband declared this the best chicken soup he ever had! Thanks for this great recipe!
Just made this recipe.. it was amazing and my boyfriend had 3 helpings.. Love love love. Thank you for sharing.
Wahoo! I’m so glad it was a hit!
What type of pot are you using?
Hi Lauren, it’s a Chasseur pot – N x
Another recipe of yours that will be used in our family! Not only did my husband love this soup, but our one year old daughter did as well. We loved your panko crumb chicken tenders, and we will be making your turkey recipe for Friendsgiving this year. Very excited! Thank you for sharing, you’re an amazing cook!
Hello! When cooking the noodles if I were to cook them seperatley then add them at the end would it take away some of the flavor? Making this tomorrow very excited to try.
thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe with us, I tried it today and it was so delicious for real. It’s my first time ever to try chicken noodle soup and it was a really good experience thank you !
That’s terrific to hear May, thanks so much for letting me know!
i haven’t made it yet, will try it tomorrow.
I hope you love it Timm!
Can you do this with a frozen whole chicken (if you don’t feel like waiting for it to thaw) and just simmer it longer?
Hi Nagi, I’ve just been staring at your recipes for the last hour lol I’m doing this one tomorrow. Can the cooked chicken be frozen for future use? Zoe
Sure can Zoe! I hope you love it – N x
Ok so I made this today and quite frankly it tastes amazing! It was fun to make too and I really enjoyed sucking the tiny bits of meat off the chook carcass when taking the meat off. I could have eaten the whole chicken at that point, I AM pregnant….. but i resisted. Great simple recipe that I am going to use forever. Thank you N!
Nagi, thank you so much for your recipe. I’m a long time home made chicken stock maker but this recipe was delicious. Such a difference it makes to simmer gently – I usually crank it up to save time!
I’m so glad you loved it Linda!
Thank you Nagi! It was really yummy! The ultimate comfort food. Kids loved it too!
Winner all round Queenie!
This recipe is excellent! I’m not the biggest fan of chicken noodle soup (in general, I prefer creamier soups) but my husband has a cold so I tried this out and let’s just say that he loves it, but I’ve actually been out-eating him by the bowl. Ha!
Given that this is so wonderfully flavorful and pretty easy to make, I don’t think I can go back to store bought ever again…
You’re converted Anne! 🙌
Want to try this soup! My husband has to go on a low sodium diet because of high blood pressure problems – could you tell me how I can reduce the sodium in this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Janet, Low sodium soy and chicken stock should help – N x
This was so good, thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re so welcome Hannah!
Love this recipe, one for the books for sure! Would you recommend the same broth recipe with a pressure cooker? Looking for a quick version of a hearty chicken soup, if that’s truly possible.
Yes, you can always reduce the thyme if you prefer. I find that noodles can be a bit soggy if reheating later so I will either separate them from the broth or omit them completely and cook when I’m reheating the broth if I have left overs ❤️
Yum this was delish!!! Added some pumpkin as I had it in the fridge and also some parsley stalks for flavour. Absolutely amazing. Pretty sure my cold has now gone!
Awesome Briony, I’m so happy you loved it!