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.
My family loved this soup..i will differently make it again.
Awesome Lucia!
Hi Nagi,
I tried one of your recipes the other day and loved it, so now that I have come down with a cold I came over to your webpage looking for a good soup and found this, yay! But could I possibly use say 3 chicken breast and boil them the same way as the whole chicken? I never made broth myself so I don’t know.
I am a lazy cook so I use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs only one bone to worry about and cartilage on the ends. I like Lawry’s Perfect Blend Chicken & Poultry Rub for seasoning
The bones of the chicken is what has the most flavour for stock – you just won’t get the same effect from using breast unfortunately ❤️
This is one of the best soups I’ve ever had! I am not exaggerating.. I’ve always been scared to make homemade chicken noodle for some reason but this was so easy and so delicious!
I’m so glad you tried it Diane, no turning back now!
Poor hubs has a cold so I made this for him. So easy and delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
Oh the dreaded MAN-FLU!? I hope this makes him feel better ☺️
I simply LOVE things made from scratch. They are always better and are typically made with items I always have on hand.
I easily find your ingredient from our local grocery store THAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR BLOG.
THANKS 🙂
Thanks so so much! ❤️
THANK YOU for publishing this recipe! I’ve been trying to get the rest of the world — beginning with my two grown daughters and close friends — to make chicken soup EXACTLY this way (the way my mom taught HER five children to make it), for forever! We don’t even buy canned soup [or fruits or veggies or premade mixes at all].
I promise you — I am not a snob (honest!); I simply LOVE things made from scratch. They are always better and are typically made with items I always have on hand.
I love, love, LOVE your blog (and only your blog) ! THANKS!
Yes definitely! Homemade beats anything from a can!
I just made this and it was delicious and so easy! Better than restaurant soups. Making home made chicken noodle from scratch from now on. Thank you!
Homemade is SO much better!! I’m so glad you love it!!
Dag gone Nagi, this soup almost made me wish I had the man flu. The broth was so clean and the whole soup was very flavorable. Used the Vegeta as recommended, you can get it here in the states from World Market. Every recipe that I’ve made from your blog has just been exceptionally good. Thank you for what you do.
John C.
You’re so welcome John, sounds like you nailed the soup!!!
Great recipe! I made this last night after it came through on email. I used some penne pasta and 5 drumsticks instead of a whole chicken. Worked like a charm and VERY yummy. Thanks Nagi, you are the best!
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Ryan!! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Oh yeah! There’s nothing like a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup in the winter but not in the summer…to hot!
I’m saying this coz my Dad makes a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup every week and even in the summer. He gets insulted if nobody wants to eat it in the summer and gets mad at my Mom too! 😂 She quickly gets a yogurt to eat.😀
He finally stopped making it in the summer coz he was eating it himself! 😂 Whew! I would always eat some just to make him happy…it’s always been flavorful and good every time!
Your right N about chicken noodle soup making you feel better! A few yrs ago I was so sick and I just couldn’t snap out of it! Well my parents found out and brought me some homemade chicken noodle soup and I started feeling alot better the next day.
Dozer is trying to jump up high, so he can catch the bird!😂
BA HA HA! That is soooo funny! Dads 🙂 You gotta love ’em!! N xx
Your recipes are the bomb. And to Dozer, you are a celebrity. Love your pics.
Nagi,I’m not much for writing,especially if it’s not in my language,but I really looove your recipes!! ,your blog and your comment; your storytelling,and Dozer,of course😉😉I admire how much effort you put on this,you could always do much less if you wanted to.
Hi Nydia – thank you so much for taking the time to message me!! I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes – and Dozer! N x
Hi Nagi – In your chicken soup recipe after you separate broth, etc., do you add fresh veggies or return the ones that have been cooked?
Thanks
Hi Dennis! Thanks for the question, I popped a note in the recipe 🙂 I tend to discard the veggies used for the broth and use new ones for the soup. I know that’s wasteful. The reason I do that for this is because they do tend to get very mushy after the long stove simmer time. I do not discard if when I make broth using a slow cooker because they tend to not be quite as soft. However, absolutely feel free to chop and add them back into the soup with the chicken. 🙂 N x
Thanks Nagi. I thought so, looking at your pix of the soup. I’ve not done so before but i’m Sure this will be great,especially by adding fresh flavor.
We live in Wisconsin, USA I can only find the Vegeta all-purpose seasoning or the Gourmet seasoning and soup mix here. Are either of these the same as the stock powder?
All purpose! It’s the same, the label is just slightly different 🙂 This one! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012S8VHS?pf_rd_p=1581d9f4-062f-453c-b69e-0f3e00ba2652&pf_rd_r=BH27CE80WB066BNXX3W8&th=1
Do you think I could use Konjac noodles for this soup?
Konjac?? Do you mean Konyaku, those magic zero calorie Japanese noodles??
Yes. I do mean those Konyaku/konnyaku noodles.
Hi,
I’m making this soup tonight- I have a very large- 6 pound frier- but that’s ok- more flavor! My son has a cold and I learned as a kid- Chicken Soup is the Best Medicine! Thanks for sharing!
You’ll love it, hope your son is feeling better soon 🤗
Really great recipe.. Going into the ‘favorites’ for sure!! Everyone who ate the soup loved it. Thank you! 🙂
That’s awesome Abby!
I like recipe for 2019
Beautiful, thoughtfully designed site, and delicious recipes. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to your craft.
Happy New Year!
B
I know I’, late responding – but Happy New Year to you too Bruce! 🙂 N x
You’re so welcome Bruce, thanks so much for the great feedback!
You go on and on and on and on and on and on. But that seems like the norm these days for everyone. All I wanted was a recipe. I didn’t need to know anyone’s life story. I finally found the recipe and I’m going to try it now.
#LearnToScroll #NoHate #MakeTheWorldKinder
HUGS!
Helen – Given this is my website and I am the one who spends hours and hours creating recipes, taking photos, filming the videos, editing them, writing it all up then publishing them, it is entirely my prerogative how much I do or do not “go on and on”. I take offence at your message, and don’t think it’s appropriate at all! May I remind you – you are using my recipes for free! Perhaps you should go to the bookstore and pay $30 for a cookbook instead? – Nagi
Yeah! Well said. This person has more nerve than I would care to deal with!
I normally just delete them but I got fired up!!!
As did I!!! When I’m in a hurry, I am free to skip down and catch up on your amusing life anecdotes at a later time — and, believe me, I DO! Thanks for being EXACTLY who you are, and for sharing MUCH MUCH more. You’re a wealth of knowledge; you cook as my mother taught me, my sister and three brothers (Mom too would have LOVED your blog and style of cooking!); your recipe repertoire is AMAZING; and you are utterly charming!!!
I guess I “go on and on and on” as well! Oops.😌
So glad to see you answer such a negative person! Love it! Happy, Healthy New Year 🙂
Thanks so much for the support! ❤️
Well said, Nagi!
Some people just LOVE to bring others down 🙁
She probably knows she doesn’t *have* to read everything…she could just scroll to the recipe.
I thought your writing was sweet. And I always love being reminded of my great grandmother – which your blurb did – so thank you!!
Eager to try this recipe tomorrow <3